Immigration & foreign manpower — Topics

15 Oct 2020

Review of Fines for Illegal Deployment of Foreign Domestic Workers

Mr Louis Ng asked the Ministry for Manpower to consider increasing the maximum fine for employers who illegally deploy foreign domestic workers, which currently stands at up to $10,000.
The Ministry of State for Manpower stated that penalties are determined based on the severity and number of infringements, with cases from 2017 to 2019 resulting in fines ranging from $3,300 to $24,000, and no plans to review the maximum penalty at this time.
However, the Ministry is reviewing guidelines to possibly impose financial penalties on cases currently resolved with a warning to ensure employers take their responsibilities seriously.
Mr Louis Ng inquired about the duration of the review and whether NGOs would be consulted, to which the Ministry responded that the review is ongoing and input from various parties, including NGOs, is welcome.

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15 Oct 2020

Racial Proportions in Current Immigration Policy

Gan Thiam Poh asked whether Singapore's immigration policy still aims to maintain existing racial proportions.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs affirmed that immigration intake is calibrated to preserve racial balance for social stability.
The Minister stated that over the past 10 years, the ethnic proportions of Singapore's citizen population have remained stable at 76% Chinese, 15% Malay, 7.5% Indian, and 1.5% others.
Gan sought clarification on the current racial proportions and whether they had changed over the years.
The Minister confirmed the specific figures and reiterated that the proportions have remained unchanged.

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14 Oct 2020

Policy Considerations for Long-term Population Growth

The government has no fixed population target and clarified that Singapore’s population is likely to stay below 6.9 million by 2030, with policy adjustments based on birth rates, life expectancy, and global immigration trends.
Infrastructure planning considers multiple factors beyond demographics, including economic growth, housing, transport, and climate resilience, and is designed to remain flexible to meet changing needs.
To address an ageing population and low birth rates, Singapore uses selective immigration and permanent residency, while also implementing national savings schemes and diversified taxes to manage future fiscal pressures.
The government emphasized a holistic approach to citizenship grants, prioritizing family ties and contributions, and aims to support Singaporean children even if one parent is not a citizen.

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6 Oct 2020

Requests and Appeals Received and Approved for Foreign Domestic Workers to Enter Singapore during Circuit Breaker Period

The Ministry of Manpower received approximately 4,100 applications and appeals for foreign domestic workers to enter Singapore during the circuit breaker period.
Out of these, 630 requests were approved, primarily from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
These approvals were given despite strict travel restrictions aimed at reducing COVID-19 importation risks.
The approvals were granted to support residents' needs during the circuit breaker period.
The figures reflect limited entry approvals for work pass holders to protect public health.

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6 Oct 2020

Help for Contractors Faced With Dormitory Constraints or Higher Temporary Living Quarter Costs

Miss Cheryl Chan asked the Minister for Manpower about support for contractors facing dormitory shortages and doubled costs for foreign worker housing.
The government moved workers to temporary sites, increased construction of temporary quarters, and reduced dormitory occupancy by 30% to lower COVID-19 risks.
New quick-built and contractor-built dormitories will add 60,000 beds to stabilize rental prices, which have remained stable overall despite some higher asking rents.

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6 Oct 2020

Facilitate Renewal of Foreign Manpower for Construction Sector Post-COVID-19

Miss Cheryl Chan proposed shortening the man-year entitlement period to two years or less to help construction firms renew foreign workers amid COVID-19 disruptions.
The Ministry of Manpower explained that firms must stay within their man-year entitlements but can hire experienced workers beyond allocations via MYE-waiver, requiring at least three years of construction experience.
Recognizing the pandemic’s impact, the ministry is open to considering case-by-case renewals for workers with less than three years of experience under the MYE-waiver.

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6 Oct 2020

Proposal to Conduct Skills Test in Singapore for Foreign Workers for Construction Sector

Miss Cheryl Chan proposed that the Skills Evaluation Certificate (Knowledge) test for foreign construction workers be conducted in Singapore after their arrival rather than at overseas centers, and suggested exemptions for workers with prior trade experience in Singapore.
The Minister responded that the test is currently required overseas to ensure workers meet skill standards before incurring travel costs, and noted that returning workers do not need to retake the test for the same trade.
The debate focused on balancing the need for skilled foreign labor with the costs and logistics of pre-arrival testing, while considering exemptions for experienced workers.

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5 Oct 2020

Rationale for Further Consultations with AGC on Further Action to be Taken against Parti Liyani's Previous Employer

Derrick Goh questioned the need for further consultations with AGC regarding additional action against Parti Liyani’s former employer, given that a warning had already been issued in 2018.
Josephine Teo explained that MOM’s punitive decisions consider the worker’s well-being and the extent of illegal deployment, and that the 2018 actions against the employer were consistent with past similar cases.
She noted that from 2017 to 2019, about 155 employers per year faced action for illegal deployment, with penalties ranging from warnings to financial fines.
Teo stated that a review of the case is ongoing due to High Court observations and that MOM will provide an update once completed.
The debate centered on whether further AGC consultations are justified after earlier administrative actions were taken in 2018.

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5 Oct 2020

Residential Addresses Falsely Declared as Housing Addresses for Foreign Workers in Past Five Years

Member of Parliament Leon Perera asked about the number of cases in the past five years where residential addresses were falsely declared as housing addresses for foreign workers and the measures to ensure accuracy.
The Ministry of Manpower holds employers responsible for reporting accurate addresses via an Online Foreign Worker Address Service, which checks occupancy limits and tenancy records to prevent misuse.
A Foreign Worker Tenant Enquiry System was introduced in 2018, allowing homeowners to verify and block registrations at their addresses, leading to a significant increase in detected false declarations in 2019.
Cases of false declaration result in investigations, with culpable employers barred from hiring foreign workers and workers facing work pass revocation if they knowingly provided false information.

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5 Oct 2020

Guidelines for Cross-deployment of Foreign Domestic Workers and Available Outreach to Ensure Awareness of Rights and Available Platforms to Seek Assistance

The Ministry of Manpower clarified that foreign domestic workers (FDWs) can only work at the address in their permit, with limited cross-deployment to relatives’ homes under supervision, and that employers must inform MOM of such arrangements.
Outreach efforts include the FDW and Employer Guidebooks, the Settling-in Programme for FDWs, and the Employers’ Orientation Programme, which educate both parties on rights, allowed and disallowed deployments, and support channels.
To address FDWs’ fears of job loss when reporting employers, MOM conducts interviews in native languages and ensures that FDWs who assist investigations are not repatriated, with assistance provided for temporary employment or transfer to another employer.

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5 Oct 2020

Court Cases Involving Employers and Their Foreign Domestic Workers and Number Convicted

The Minister for Law indicated that reviews related to court cases involving employers and their foreign domestic workers are still in progress and he expects to address the matter in November via a Ministerial Statement.
The Minister noted that the agencies have considered a High Court judgment and are conducting ongoing reviews before providing detailed data.
The debate was initiated by a Member who asked for three years of statistics on the number of court cases involving employers and FDWs, and the number of convictions for each party.

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5 Oct 2020

Late Solidarity Payments to Eligible Singapore Citizens Who Acquired Citizenship by Registration and Turned 21 This Year

Murali Pillai asked about Singapore citizens who acquired citizenship by registration, turned 21 this year, and received their Solidarity Payment late, seeking details on the number, causes of delay, and corrective steps.
Heng Swee Keat explained that 1,320 citizens turning 21 needed to complete an oath to be eligible, with 306 receiving payments on time and 392 later receiving them after completing the oath and informing the Ministry of Finance.
He noted that 410 citizens have not yet completed the oath and can do so by their 22nd birthday to receive the payment within a month after informing the ministry.

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5 Oct 2020

Clarification by Minister for Manpower

The Minister for Manpower clarified a factual error in her earlier statement about the number of employers applying for Employment Passes.
She corrected that, instead of 40,000, 75,000 employers had applied for Employment Passes at least once in the last five years.
The correction was made during a session where the Speaker allowed the minister to proceed with the clarification.

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5 Oct 2020

Considerations for Punitive Actions against Employer of Former Foreign Domestic Worker Parti Liyani for Illegal Deployment

The Ministry of Manpower stated that its punitive actions for illegal deployment of foreign domestic workers consider the worker's well-being and the extent of the deployment, and the actions in the Parti Liyani case were consistent with past cases, though a review is ongoing following High Court observations.
The Minister of State confirmed that the Ministry will review its punishment framework to hold employers accountable for illegal deployments regardless of their awareness, emphasizing the vulnerability of foreign domestic workers.
A suggestion was made to require documented consent from foreign domestic workers for deployments outside their registered address, and the Ministry is considering improving notification processes for such cases.

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5 Oct 2020

Updates on Matters Arising from High Court Judgment in Former Foreign Domestic Worker Parti Liyani's Case

Members of Parliament asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Law to explain the findings, root causes, and procedural lapses in the Parti Liyani case, and to outline steps to prevent recurrence, with specific queries on police investigations and prosecution oversight.
Several MPs proposed reforms such as allowing legal representation during police interviews for vulnerable workers, increasing legal aid, creating a public defender’s office, and conducting an independent public inquiry into the police and Attorney-General’s Chambers.
The Minister of State confirmed that agency reviews are ongoing and a Ministerial Statement will be delivered in November to address the questions, while the Minister added that comments on pending disciplinary proceedings would wait for the court’s decision.

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4 Sep 2020

Breakdown of Employed and Unemployed Singaporean, Permanent Resident and Foreign PMETS by Industries, Age and Gender

Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked for an annual breakdown of Singaporean, permanent resident, and foreign PMETs across specific industries from January 2010 to June 2020.
He also requested unemployment rates for Singaporean and permanent resident PMETs by age and gender over the same period.
Mrs Josephine Teo provided tables with data on PMETs by industry and residential status from 2010 to 2019, and unemployment rates by residential status, age, and sex.
She noted that permanent residents have generally lower unemployment rates than citizens, citing employability and economic contribution as key factors.
Additional data on resident PMETs will be released in the annual Labour Force report in January 2021.

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4 Sep 2020

Firms under Fair Consideration Framework Watchlist

There are currently about 400 firms on the Fair Consideration Framework Watchlist due to high foreign PMET ratios or nationality concentration, with their Employment Pass applications affected and engagement by TAFEP to improve HR practices.
The Ministry will not name firms or withdraw government grants and tax incentives, as this could hinder local hiring efforts and is counter-productive, with most firms exiting the watchlist within a year after engagement.
For uncooperative firms, work pass privileges remain suspended, and plans include proactive engagement with more companies and collaboration with economic agencies and the HR community to strengthen the Singaporean core.

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4 Sep 2020

Total Number of Imported COVID-19 Cases Who are Non-Singaporeans and Top Three Countries of Embarkation of These Cases

Between April and August 2020, there were 292 imported COVID-19 cases who were non-Singaporeans.
These included 56 Permanent Residents, 110 Work Pass holders, 99 Long-Term Visit Pass holders, and 27 Short-Term Visit Pass holders.
The top three countries of embarkation were India with 183 cases, the Philippines with 46 cases, and Indonesia with 15 cases.

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4 Sep 2020

Number of Visitors and Their Family Members Allowed into Singapore for Medical Treatment since 27 March 2020

Since 27 March 2020, 303 foreign patients and 260 accompanying caregivers were approved to enter Singapore for medical treatment, with 183 patients and 147 caregivers having entered.
Approved visitors include existing patients needing follow-up care, such as those on chemotherapy or with renal diseases, and each patient may bring one caregiver, subject to COVID-19 testing and quarantine rules.
The majority of foreign patients are from Indonesia, followed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

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4 Sep 2020

Breakdown of Number of Applications Received to Extend Social Visit Pass, Long Term Visit Pass or Long Term Pass Plus of Foreign Spouses of Singaporean

From February to July in 2019 and 2020, ICA received 6,419 and 8,395 applications respectively for Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) extensions from foreign spouses of Singaporeans, with 2.6% and 2.8% rejection rates, mostly due to adverse records or unsubstantiated need for extension.
For Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) renewals, ICA received 4,503 and 4,243 applications in 2019 and 2020 respectively, with 0.4% rejection rate in both years, primarily due to adverse records or inability to demonstrate financial support.
For Long-Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+) renewals, ICA received 987 and 1,554 applications in 2019 and 2020 respectively, with 0.9% and 0.5% rejection rates, mainly due to adverse records or inability to demonstrate financial support.
During the COVID-19 situation, ICA considers additional factors like travel restrictions and flight connectivity when assessing pass extensions or renewals to assist those with genuine difficulties.

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