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Written Answer to PQ on Migrant Worker Dormitory Living Conditions

Foreign manpower

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1660 OF 2023 FOR THE SITTING ON 7 FEBRUARY 2023

QUESTION NO. 2598 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Christopher de Souza

To ask the Minister for Manpower whether an update can be provided on the Ministry’s plan to transition existing migrant worker dormitories to improved standards to strengthen public health resilience and improve living conditions.

QUESTION NO. 2599 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Christopher de Souza

To ask the Minister for Manpower whether an update can be provided on the current living conditions in migrant worker dormitories to ensure the health and safety of all workers.

Answer

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has taken several steps over the past few years to improve living conditions and the health and safety of migrant workers.

2. New dormitories approved from September 2021 onwards are required to meet enhanced living and public health standards such as larger living space per resident, in-room Wi-Fi facilities, en-suite toilets, better ventilation in rooms, dedicated bed spaces for isolation purposes, and wastewater surveillance. Six Quick Build Dormitories built in 2021 that meet these new standards continue to be in operation and provide accommodation to migrant workers. Furthermore, we are pressing on with plans to build more Purpose-Built Dormitories (PBDs), which will adhere to the new standards. MOM will also be building and owning two new PBDs, which will be operated by a new corporate entity in partnership with the private sector. These dormitories will have enhanced features that build on the improved standards for new dormitories. They will also provide MOM with the opportunity to innovate and pilot new ideas for public health resilience and dormitory living to improve the lived experience of migrant workers.

3. MOM is currently working closely with stakeholders to develop a transition plan for existing dormitories to transit to improved standards. This will take into consideration what existing infrastructure in the dormitories can support, as well as the potential disruptions to dormitory bed supply. MOM will announce the transition plan when ready.

4. MOM also actively inspects dormitories and proactively addresses issues concerning living conditions. MOM’s Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST), first deployed during the Circuit Breaker in 2020, proactively and regularly visit dormitories to engage migrant workers about their overall wellbeing, and work with both workers and dormitory operators to resolve issues pertaining to living conditions in a timely manner.

5. In addition, MOM introduced the Primary Care Plan in Apr 2022, giving migrant workers access to quality and affordable primary healthcare services, including telemedicine that they can easily access from their dormitories.