“Singaporeans don’t like migrant workers,” says Puma, a 36-year-old Indian migrant worker who cooks in an Indian restaurant that is frequented by his fellow migrants. While it may not be a universal sentiment, his perception reflects a broader issue of social exclusion in the island nation.

Most Singaporeans only meet migrant workers – often employed as domestic maids, restaurant personnel or construction workers – in transactional settings. A combination of negative stereotypes, language differences and economic inequalities sustains a lack of genuine contact, further reinforcing social stigma.

Singapore’s reliance on migrant workers dates from its time as a British colony. Back then, they included rickshaw pullers from China, Sikh policemen from India and many more. The trading port could not function without such workers, and this dependence continues in modern Singapore. This explains the diversity and uniqueness of Singapore’s multi-ethnic population, which is divided into four main racial groups according to the rubric CMIO – Chinese, Malay, Indian and “others”.

In many sectors, migrant workers are the solution to labour shortages: 47% of employers say they have difficulty filling vacancies. Workers from Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar take up jobs in construction and shipbuilding or domestic roles that many locals avoid due to their demanding nature.

Today, Puma is just one of nearly 760,000 migrant workers in Singapore, including 302,000 categorised as migrant domestic workers (MDWs) and 460,000 employed in construction and shipyards (CMPs). That’s nearly 13% of the island’s population. The total foreign workforce, as of December 2024, is 1.5 million.

The government regulates their employment through work permits of various kinds, but limitations on job mobility and rights often leave them vulnerable to misconduct and exploitation.

Migrant workers endure long hours – many working over 12 hours a day, six days a week – in often physically demanding roles and harsh weather. Although overtime is limited to 72 hours per month, enforcement may be inconsistent, and some workers report not being paid for extra hours.

Despite safety regulations, accidents (sometimes fatal) do occur, due to inadequate training or employer negligence. For example, a deadly explosion in 2021 at an industrial site in Tuas killed three migrant workers and injured seven others. The incident highlighted serious lapses in workplace safety, including poor ventilation, lack of risk assessments and a failure to follow safety protocols.

Most low-wage migrant workers live in purpose-built dormitories. While some dormitories meet acceptable living standards, many remain overcrowded, poorly ventilated and unsanitary. They often house up to 30 individuals, and hundreds share kitchens, bathrooms and recreational areas. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed these vulnerabilities – in September 2021, domestic migrant workers accounted for more than 74% of coronavirus cases in Singapore.

Harbingers’ Magazine took to the streets of Singapore to speak with migrant workers about their experiences.

This is especially notable considering the high cost of living: Singapore is second (after Hong Kong) in the list of the world’s most expensive cities.

HOME (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics), a local charity that supports migrant workers, received more than 1,600 salary-related complaints in 2023, including unpaid or delayed wages, lack of overtime pay, illegal deductions, and salaries not matching what was promised by the employer.

Many workers pay exorbitant recruitment fees – ranging from $5,000 to $16,000 SGD, equivalent to several years of savings – to secure jobs, trapping them in debt cycles.

For example, Pyae Sone from Myanmar gave up his university education and moved to Singapore to financially support his five siblings and parents. He had to pay a recruitment agency $5,800, which was “very difficult”, to secure the job. But he was laid off after less than two weeks and was then prompted to “cough up” more money to find another job or return to Myanmar with only part of his original fee.

These include high medical costs, difficulty in finding doctors who understand their specific needs, minimal assistance from their employers, and language and cultural barriers.

The Work Injury Compensation Act is meant to support injured workers, but many struggle to navigate it due to limited awareness and guidance. Many workers fear that seeking medical help could lead to repatriation or placement on a “Special Pass”, which allows them to stay in Singapore for investigations into salary or injury claims but prevents them from working, making keeping up with the cost of living even harder.

In addition, mental health issues, including stress, isolation and financial anxiety, are often overlooked due to stigma and a lack of support networks.

Islam encapsulates the dilemma facing migrant workers in Singapore: “For us, the choice is often between rights and jobs, and only one of those things feeds my family.”