Limits to Maximum Number of Migrant Domestic Worker per Household Given Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Entry of New Migrant Workers

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Manpower in light of existing restrictions on the entry of new migrant domestic workers (MDWs), whether the Ministry has considered imposing restrictions on the maximum number of MDWs a given household is able to hire and the type of domestic work (especially medical care or childcare) that these MDWs may be deployed to perform.

Given the limited number of entry approvals for migrant domestic workers (MDWs) over the past few months, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been prioritising families with urgent caregiving needs, such as households with sick elderly, young children or family members with special needs.

There are many unique circumstances under which a household may need to hire more than one MDW to meet their caregiving needs. For example, there are households that hire multiple MDWs because they have young children, including say a child with special needs; or a bed-bound family member who requires round-the-clock care. As such, the entry approvals for MDWs are granted based on the unique circumstances of a household instead of arbitrarily setting a cap to the number of MDWs that can be hired by a household.