Singapore faces renewed scrutiny over migrant worker protections at UN rights review

Singapore’s treatment of migrant workers came under renewed international scrutiny during the country’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 12 May 2026, following allegations by labour advocacy groups that many workers remain vulnerable to exploitation despite reforms introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) submitted a joint stakeholder report to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as part of Singapore’s fourth-cycle UPR review process.

The organisations argued that while Singapore had implemented several policy changes since its previous UPR cycle in 2021, the reforms failed to address what they described as deeper structural inequalities underpinning migrant worker exploitation.

According to the submission, low-wage and mid-tier migrant workers in Singapore numbered approximately 1.34 million in 2024, compared with 2.44 million citizens and permanent residents in the labour force.

“Migrant workers still lack fundamental labour rights such as the ability to switch employers, and continue to face deceptive recruitment and significant hurdles in seeking remedies when their rights have been violated,” the report stated.

The organisations described Singapore’s labour framework as creating a “large power imbalance” between employers and migrant workers, arguing that workers’ dependency on employers for work permits contributed to exploitative conditions.

The report urged Singapore to strengthen migrant workers’ rights through reforms covering recruitment practices, housing standards, salaries, healthcare access, legal protections and job mobility.

The organisations also called on Singapore to operationalise ASEAN’s non-punishment principle for trafficking victims and to provide greater protections for Myanmar nationals facing conflict and political instability at home.

Recruitment debt and deceptive hiring practices

A major focus of the submission concerned recruitment fees and debt burdens faced by migrant workers before arriving in Singapore.

HOME and TWC2 alleged that construction workers commonly paid between S$13,000 and S$16,000 in recruitment fees for first-time employment opportunities.

Workers seeking subsequent employment reportedly paid between S$2,000 and S$5,000.

According to the organisations, these sums could amount to as much as 20 months of wages, leaving workers heavily indebted and vulnerable to abuse.

The report alleged that Singapore’s regulations limiting employment agency fees to two months’ salary were routinely circumvented through overseas recruitment agents and unlicensed intermediaries.

HOME and TWC2 recommended establishing a centralised government recruitment portal through which all hiring processes and fee payments would be conducted.

The organisations also urged authorities to strengthen enforcement against unlicensed recruiters and prohibit Singapore-based agencies from collecting fees on behalf of foreign agents.

The submission further raised concerns regarding alleged manipulation of In-Principle Approval (IPA) documents used to specify employment terms for migrant workers entering Singapore.

The report alleged that some recruitment agents fabricated fake IPA documents for non-existent jobs or altered salary figures to attract jobseekers.

“Agents fabricated IPAs for non-existent jobs, charging jobseekers in foreign countries a fee for the purported recruitment,” the report stated.

The organisations proposed replacing PDF-based IPA documents with digitally verified versions accessible through QR codes.

HOME and TWC2 also described alleged “contract substitution” practices in which workers agreed to one set of employment conditions before departure but were later pressured into accepting less favourable terms after arriving in Singapore.

According to the submission, some workers were issued contracts only in English and denied copies after signing.

“Employers exploit workers’ indebtedness … to psychologically coerce them to sign without giving them time to read, digest and consult with others,” the organisations stated.

Concerns over misdeployment and trafficking risks

The submission also alleged that some migrant workers recruited for specific sectors were deployed into entirely different occupations after arriving in Singapore.

HOME cited cases involving workers whose permits reportedly listed “food processing” occupations but who were allegedly deployed to massage parlours, spas and parcel delivery services.

The organisations argued that some workers became vulnerable to exploitation because of recruitment debt and fear of deportation.

“Some of the workers in massage establishments have been asked by customers or their employers to provide sexual services,” the submission stated.

The report further criticised alleged misuse of the Training Employment Pass (TEP), which is intended for management trainees and junior professionals.

HOME and TWC2 claimed they had encountered workers brought into Singapore under TEP arrangements but assigned lower-skilled duties such as kitchen cleaning and warehouse work.

The organisations argued that some workers were unaware they were breaching work permit conditions because they had been instructed to perform duties outside those stated on their permits.

Housing conditions and food concerns

The organisations devoted substantial attention to migrant worker accommodation and living standards.

HOME and TWC2 acknowledged that Singapore expanded the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA) following the pandemic, including reducing allowable dormitory occupancy from 16 residents per room to 12 and increasing minimum living space allocations.

However, the organisations argued that the reforms remained limited and would not fully apply to existing dormitories until 2040.

The report alleged that many dormitories lacked cooking facilities, forcing workers to rely on catered meals delivered hours before consumption.

“Workers have neither dignity nor autonomy over food and nutrition,” the submission stated.

The organisations also raised concerns regarding migrant domestic workers living in employers’ homes.

According to the report, some migrant domestic workers complained of insufficient food, being given leftovers or being required to consume meals conflicting with religious dietary requirements.

HOME and TWC2 proposed allowing migrant domestic workers to live outside employers’ homes and receive food allowances instead.

Salary disputes and excessive overtime allegations

The report alleged widespread wage-related violations affecting migrant workers across multiple sectors.

HOME stated that it encountered 1,957 salary-related complaints involving 1,195 workers in 2024, including allegations concerning unpaid wages and overtime violations.

TWC2 separately cited survey findings indicating that more than half of construction and engineering workers surveyed had allegedly not received legally required overtime rates.

The organisations argued that many workers struggled to pursue claims because employers either failed to issue payslips or provided inaccurate records.

The submission also alleged that excessive overtime remained common despite Singapore’s legal limit of 72 overtime hours per month.

HOME and TWC2 cited one construction worker who reportedly worked 168 overtime hours in a single month.

“Overtime hours are frequently understated on payslips, or partial payments are labeled under disguised terms such as ‘allowance’ or ‘incentive’ in order to disguise non-compliance with law,” the report stated.

The organisations called for stronger enforcement measures, including barring offending employers from hiring migrant workers.

Healthcare access and employer control

The submission also criticised aspects of Singapore’s migrant worker healthcare system.

HOME and TWC2 acknowledged reforms introduced since the pandemic, including mandatory Primary Care Plans for workers in dormitories and construction-related sectors, as well as the increase in mandatory hospitalisation insurance coverage from S$15,000 to S$60,000 annually.

However, the organisations argued that significant gaps remained, particularly for workers in food and beverage, cleaning and domestic work sectors, which they said were excluded from mandatory outpatient healthcare coverage.

The report also alleged that employers retained excessive influence over workers’ medical treatment because hospitals often required employer-issued Letters of Guarantee before conducting expensive procedures.

“As hospitals have to work through the employer to know the details of insurance covered for the worker, the employer is made the gatekeeper for a worker’s healthcare,” the submission stated.

The organisations proposed creating a digital insurance verification platform accessible directly by hospitals.

International recommendations during UPR session

Concerns over migrant worker protections featured prominently during recommendations delivered by member states participating in Singapore’s UPR session.

The exclusion of migrant domestic workers from core labour protections emerged as one of the most frequently raised concerns.

The United Kingdom recommended that Singapore mandate rest periods and establish digital recruitment and wage payment systems for foreign domestic workers.

Norway called for extending the Employment Act and Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) to cover all migrant workers, including domestic workers.

Canada similarly recommended extending both laws to domestic workers of both sexes.

Australia urged Singapore to establish a government-run recruitment system aimed at preventing deceptive hiring and contract substitution.

Brazil recommended guaranteeing public holidays, regulated working hours and paid leave for domestic workers, while also abolishing mandatory pregnancy and HIV testing requirements.

France called for strengthening the legal framework governing employers of migrant workers.

Several countries, including Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Lesotho, Nigeria, Philippines, Eritrea and Indonesia, also recommended stronger welfare protections, healthcare access and improved living conditions for migrant workers.

Singapore defends reforms and welfare measures

Responding during the session, Koh Xiao Ying, director at Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower, defended the country’s treatment of migrant workers and highlighted reforms introduced since the previous UPR cycle in 2021.

Koh said Singapore had expanded dormitory standards to cover all facilities, improved ventilation and communal living spaces, and developed purpose-built dormitories designed around migrant workers’ feedback.

She also noted that more than nine in 10 migrant workers surveyed in 2024 reported satisfaction with living and working conditions in Singapore and said they would recommend the country as a place to work.

Koh said Singapore remained committed to safeguarding migrant workers through legislation including the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and targeted protections for migrant domestic workers.

According to Koh, these protections included mandatory rest days, accommodation standards, food provisions and medical insurance requirements.

She added that expanded insurance coverage introduced in 2023 now covered approximately 99 per cent of migrant domestic workers’ medical bills.

Koh also stated that Singapore treated abuse cases seriously and empowered courts to impose enhanced penalties on abusive employers and employment agents.

Beyond legislation, she highlighted settlement programmes conducted in workers’ native languages, a 24-hour multilingual counselling helpline operated by NGO HealthServe, and expanded healthcare access through primary care plans introduced in 2022.

Under the healthcare scheme, migrant workers can access consultations, chronic disease treatment and telemedicine services through small co-payments.

Koh said Singapore’s approach combines legal protections with practical support to ensure migrant workers are treated with dignity and continue contributing to the country’s development.

The President of the UPR working group announced that the recommendations section of the draft report would be distributed on 15 May 2026 at 12.30 pm, with formal adoption scheduled for 2.30 pm on the same day.

The full report, including summary sections, is expected to be distributed by email on 22 May 2026.

The review report will be prepared by the Troika comprising representatives from Albania, Benin and Indonesia.

Singapore has participated in the Universal Periodic Review process since its inaugural review in 2011, with subsequent reviews conducted in 2016 and 2021.

The UPR is a peer-review mechanism conducted by the United Nations Human Rights Council under which every UN member state undergoes an assessment of its human rights record approximately once every five years.