The COVID-19 Pandemic: 6 Issues International Families May Face

• Published date: 13 May 2020
• Author: Mr Sonny Patel
• Subject Matter: Family and Matrimonial, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Family Law, Government Measures, Employment and Workforce Wellbeing, Litigation, Contracts and Force Majeure
• Law Firm: Expatriate Law

The whole world is watching Singapore's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The Singapore Government is being praised internationally for its handling of the situation so far. However, the number of infections is creeping up and the social restrictions are tightening.

As of Tuesday 7 April, the Singapore Government has implemented circuit breaker measures to significantly reduce movement of people to contain the spread of the virus.

Around the world, the situation is evolving day by day and it is not yet possible to predict what is going to happen next. Many countries across the world are now more or less in total lockdown. We do not yet know how long the lockdown will last for, or what the eventual effects on the economy and employment will be.

Lockdowns, travel bans and school closures are causing difficulties in many different areas of life for families all over the world.

For international families, there is an additional layer of complexity.

From the narrow perspective of an English lawyer practising family law in Singapore, here are 6 issues that international families may face:

1) International contact

Where the parents of children live in different countries, it is currently not viable either for the parents or the children to travel freely and safely internationally.

I feel immense sympathy for those parents who have to cancel imminent plans to see their children.

In these extraordinary and stressful times, I urge parents to set aside any historical personal conflict and focus fully on their children's needs. Extensive and creative use should be made of video calling to keep the children feeling emotionally connected to both parents.

If the "left-behind" parent has missed out on significant holiday time with the children, try to create goodwill and agree that lost time can be made up when travel restrictions are lifted.

2) Moving Children Across International Borders

Please be aware that removing children from their country of habitual residence without the express consent of the other parent amounts to child abduction and may be a criminal offence in some countries. In these circumstances, children can be hauled back by the operation of the Hague Convention.

Even in the context of the pandemic, if you are planning to move your children to another country it is important that rash decisions are not made.

The travel bans and lockdowns cannot last forever and accordingly, parents cannot avoid the legal consequences of removing their children...