Today-May 5
The promise of a European Union (EU) citizenship and a better life for her 12-year-old son was enough for one domestic worker in Singapore to part with S$2,500 of her life savings to a recruitment agency in Singapore in 2022. The agency promised to help her get a work permit and an official visa from the Polish embassy. The plan would then be to work as a cleaner at a factory in Poland for five years, apply to be a permanent resident there, then start a new life with her son in central Europe. That plan never materialized. Although the agency assured the domestic worker back in 2022 that her work permit would arrive in four to six months, nearly two years have passed without any progress. She eventually asked for a refund, but was denied. Like other migrant workers interviewed by TODAY, she spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from the agency and her current employers. TODAY spoke to her and three other migrant workers in Singapore who went through a similar experience with the same recruitment agency, Global Recruiters. TODAY has reached out to Global Recruiters, but its managing director has declined multiple requests for an interview. Organizations championing migrant worker rights said that they have received several complaints about Global Recruiters and other organizations that offer this same service. The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (Home) said that they typically receive around 10 complaints from migrant workers each year related to this matter.
Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) said that five migrant workers approached them regarding this same issue last year. In response to TODAY’s queries, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that it is looking into two fee-related complaints filed against Global Recruiters in June last year and investigations are ongoing. Read more at:
https://www.todayonline.com/features/migrant-workers-limbo-poland-mom-2416086
