Ngo For Migrant Workers In Singapore

[Tamela Vandonsel]

Asof July 1, 2020, the government invoked POFMA more than 50 times, primarily against content critical of the government or its policies. Correction notices were issued to independent online media, such as The Online Citizen and New Naratif, opposition politicians, and activists. Ministers issued several correction notices to opposition politicians or political parties during the nine-day election campaign in July.

Singapore retains the death penalty, which is mandated for many drug offenses and certain other crimes. However, under provisions introduced in 2012, judges have some discretion to bypass the mandatory penalty and sentence low-level offenders to life in prison and caning. There is little transparency on the timing of executions, which often take place with short notice. After a halt in executions due to Covid-19, in September 2020 authorities began notifying death row inmates of scheduled execution dates.

Use of corporal punishment is common in Singapore. For medically fit males ages 16 to 50, caning is mandatory as an additional punishment for a range of crimes, including drug trafficking, violent crimes (such as armed robbery), and even some immigration offenses. The caning, which constitutes torture under international law, is alleged to leave some of those caned with permanent injuries.

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Singapore are severely restricted. On March 30, 2020, the High Court rejected three constitutional challenges to criminal code section 377A, which makes sexual relations between two male persons a criminal offense. There are no legal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Singapore law precludes LGBT groups from registering and operating legally.

Foreign migrant workers are subject to labor rights abuses and exploitation through debts owed to recruitment agents, non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, confiscation of passports, and sometimes physical and sexual abuse. Foreign women employed as domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to abuse.

In September 2020, an Indonesian maid was acquitted of stealing from the family of the Changi Airport Group chairman, four years after her employment was terminated and the family brought charges against her, with the court finding that the employer acted with the improper motive of preventing her from filing a complaint with the Ministry of Manpower.

Work permits of migrant workers in Singapore are tied to a particular employer, leaving them extremely vulnerable to exploitation. Foreign domestic workers, which are covered by the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act rather than the Employment Act, are effectively excluded from many key labor protections, such as limits on daily work hours and mandatory days off. Labor laws also discriminate against foreign workers by barring them from organizing and registering a union or serving as union leaders without explicit government permission.

As of August 13, 52,516 dormitory residents had tested positive for the coronavirus, making up more than 90 percent of all cases in Singapore. After authorities ordered schools closed in early April, the Ministry of Education loaned laptops to more than 12,000 students who did not have the electronic devices needed for home-based learning. Schools reopened in early June.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 among migrant workers in Singapore was already alarming. The fact that thousands are now under quarantine in extremely close proximity could be a recipe for disaster, unless their basic rights are respected.

Migrant workers living in crowded quarters, without opportunities to self-isolate and protect themselves, are at particular risk of exposure to the virus. Amnesty International has previously expressed concerns over the lack of adequate sanitation available in housing for migrant workers, which could also put them at greater risk.

Over 20,000 migrant workers will be placed under strict quarantine for the next 14 days. Workers will not be able to move between rooms, floors or blocks in dormitories, but authorities have said that time for recreation will be provided. Workers will also undergo health screenings, and those found to be ill will be kept in isolation. Amnesty International has previously expressed concerns about the housing and labour rights of foreign workers in Singapore, particularly those living in unhygienic conditions.

Catherine James is the Executive Director of the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, or HOME, a Singapore-based charity dedicated to empowering and supporting migrant workers who find themselves victims of abuse and exploitation.

ItsRainingRaincoats is a Singapore charity that aims to build bridges of integration between migrant workers and residents of Singapore. We work to improve their welfare and believe that their seamless integration into our community will benefit not just our migrant workers but Singapore as a whole.

We want to make an impactful difference to the migrant worker community, be it through our activities or financial contributions. Our team, along with our network of volunteers, find innovative and fun ways to integrate migrant workers into the Singapore community year-round. Our goal is not only to have our migrant workers feel welcome and safe in our society, but also to let Singaporeans have the opportunities to interact with migrant workers in various different settings.

The funds we raise are used to support migrant worker needs for essentials like groceries, urgent meals, transport, spectacles, dentist visits, buying items like appliances and bicycles that make their daily lives easier, supporting some of our festive campaigns that have been a hallmark of our journey so far, as well as enable us to scale up resources and continue to run as a registered charity.

The MWC Associate Membership is the first of its kind to bring together protection against critical illnesses, death and accidental total and permanent disability, as well as meaningful benefits for migrant workers in Singapore at an affordable rate of $6 (usual: $24) for the first year.

Through the Wharton Social Impact Research Experience (SIRE) program, I sought to merge my passion for migrant workers with the actionable and effective solutions that finance and financial inclusion brings, finding an angle that is more results-driven than the human rights perspective that framed my academic research, and more social impact-driven than the profit perspective that framed my market research for my Taiwanese company. As the intersection of international relations and business, this not only dovetailed my two degree programs as a Huntsman student, but also furthered my future goals of wielding my business expertise for social impact globally after graduation.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic eased in 2021, there has been a significant influx of migrant workers to Singapore, as building and development projects make up for lost time. They make up roughly 20 percent of the population. Farrer Park, Singapore, Sep 24, 2023.

It is a placid Sunday morning. A man waits for his colleagues to return to the company lorry after buying breakfast, on their way to work. It is a rare moment of quiet for him. Farrer Park, Singapore, Sep 24, 2023.

Lorries transport workers between large, purpose-built dormitories and their worksites. The cramped living conditions mean that cleaning and airing laundry is a perpetual struggle for residents. Singapore, Oct 8, 2023.

These dormitories are often located in remote areas, making lorry rides one of the only options for transportation. For example, dormitories in the security zone beyond Changi airport are 5 km away from the nearest public bus stop. Singapore, Oct 8, 2023.

In 2019, a working group was set up by the government. It concluded that there was no strong justification for banning lorries, especially as it would negatively impact business. Farrer Park, Singapore, Sep 24, 2023.

Employers pay a monthly foreign worker levy; this amounts to roughly $4 billion a year. Despite huge revenues, the Singapore government maintains that safer alternatives are too costly. Jalan Besar, Singapore, Sep 24, 2023.

Government signs appeared following national news coverage on illegal lorry taxi services in Kranji, where workers do not have adequate public transportation to get to their dormitories. Farrer Park, Singapore, Oct 21, 2023.

Designed for cargo and not passengers, lorries are often decked with leg-cut plastic chairs for increased comfort of passengers. There are no seatbelts or significant safety features. Farrer Park, Singapore, Sep 24, 2023.

First-time Bangladeshi construction workers in Singapore pay as much as SG$15,000 in recruitment costs, accruing huge debts to do so. Employers are known to get a cut of these fees. Farrer Park, Singapore, Sep 24, 2023.

The tropical sun will turn harsh in an hour. A man sweeps at the foot of a sleek hotel development, before different lorries arrive at the same spot carrying both workers and materials. Rochor, Singapore, Oct 11, 2023.

Lorries are also used illegally as a taxi service to bring workers from remote dormitories to cultural areas such as Little India and Farrer Park. They bring workers greater freedom of movement. Farrer Park, Singapore, Oct 21, 2023.

A worker sits on the road to wait for his company lorry, outside the construction site of a government Housing & Development Board (HDB) flat. He is quiet after a long day of work. Kovan, Singapore, Sep 28, 2023.

Public spaces in Little India and Farrer Park have been tightly regulated since riots broke out there in 2013. An Indian worker had been run over by a bus and killed, triggering an angry mob. Farrer Park, Singapore, Oct 10, 2023.

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