Immigration forms

When I enter most countries, I have to fill up an detailed immigration form. It contains a lot of information that are taken from my passport.

At the immigration counter, I have to submit my passport to be scanned. All the information are now collected through electronic means.

Why is it necessary for me to spend a lot of time to fill up the information into the immigration form?

I also have to fill up a custom declaration form. I suspect that the form is not being used.

These immigration requirements were created over 20 years ago, in the days before the the electronic scanning of passports. After new technology was introduced, they could be discontinued or modified, but this was not done. Why? Nobody cares. After all, the burden is on the public.

There are a few countries that have taken the simple but bold step to stop the use of the immigration form - Dubai and the European unions. Some other countries have simplified the form considerably, e.g. Australia.

Perhaps, it is time for Singapore to take up this issue with the Asean countries? A good step is to simplify the form, by removing the non-essential information.