Repatriation Costs for Work Permit Holders and Migrant Domestic Workers Terminating Employment on Own Accord Within First Month

Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Manpower since the Ministry has no plans to shift the cost of repatriation to the work permit holders regardless of how or when the employment ends (a) whether the Ministry can consider having this information shared upfront with employers; and (b) with regard to migrant domestic workers terminating their employment on their own accord within the first month, whether the Ministry can reconsider for the cost of repatriation to be borne by both the agency and the employer.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) informs employers of the work pass conditions in writing, before the work permit holders enter Singapore. This includes the employers' responsibility for the cost of repatriation, regardless of the circumstances of contract termination. This information is also publicly available on MOM's website and covered as part of the Employers' Orientation Programme, which all first-time employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) are required to attend.

MOM has put in place measures to help employers achieve a better match with their MDWs and alleviate the financial burden on MDW employers in the event of premature contract termination. For example, MOM has implemented the service fee refund policy on 1 June 2022, where employment agencies (EAs) are required to provide employers an option for a refund of at least 50% of the service fees paid by the employers if the MDW's employment is terminated within the first six months.

Employers can also transfer the MDW to a new employer through an EA if the MDW wishes to continue working in Singapore. EAs who agree to facilitate the transfer will take over the responsibility to upkeep and maintain the MDW until she is deployed to a new employer and will bear the costs of repatriating the MDW if the transfer is unsuccessful. Employers can refer to a list of 478 participating EAs on MOM's website.