International Migrants' Day 2023 Statement

18 December 2023

Since 2000, 18 December has been marked as International Migrants’ Day (IMD), which commemorates the adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

This year, Singapore reverted to Dorscon Green, signalling the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we transition beyond the pandemic, which had disastrous effects on our migrant community, it is crucial  to extract learning points, strengthen legislative protections and improve their living and working conditions. 

This year, workplace safety was spotlighted as Singapore continued the heightened safety period. While the heightened safety period resulted in a drop in fatal and serious injuries in some sectors, there was a spate of workplace deaths after its conclusion. Worksite deaths and accidents are rooted in abusive and exploitative practices, and a culture which punishes workers for speaking up and asserting their rights. We need to go beyond punitive measures and adopt worker-centric approaches; whistle-blowers need protections such as opportunities for re-employment. This can only be achieved when workers are allowed to speak freely on issues that affect them. The Convention articulates the right to freedom of association, particularly, for the right of  migrant workers to freely join, and take part in the activities of trade unions. Freedom of association  plays a pivotal role in safeguarding migrant workers’  rights and well-being, offering them a collective voice. 

Additionally, recognizing the right of migrant workers to freely change employers is paramount. This ensures that individuals are not trapped in exploitative or abusive situations, and fosters a system where mobility is a safeguard against potential abuses. 

The spirit of the Convention conveys that migrants deserve equitable treatment in their working conditions. Migrant domestic workers (MDWs) remain excluded from the Employment Act, resulting in overwork and insufficient rest, even on their days off. The newly-implemented mandatory rest day unfortunately does not guarantee MDWs a full day of rest. The right to rest for MDWs is crucial, given their long working hours and live-in situation. HOME’s 24-hour rest day campaign emphasises the importance of a day of uninterrupted rest for MDWs, free from work, with the freedom to do what they want for their physical and mental recuperation. 

Despite fierce advocacy this year by civil society organisations and increasing public outcry, the practice of transporting workers on lorries has not been outlawed. Removing practices that are degrading and discriminatory requires political will. If we accept that migrant workers’ lives are no less valuable than anyone else’s, then cost should not influence whether or not to follow standards that already apply to everyone else. 

IMD must go beyond messages of appreciation; strong legislative protections are needed to improve migrant workers’ well-being. We call on the Singapore government to ratify: the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the ILO Convention 189 on Domestic Workers, and the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930. Adopting these international conventions and aligning our local legislation to standards found therein will send a strong signal that we are committed to implementing effective labour and social protections for our migrant community, and treating them with dignity and equality.