Dr Tan See Leng,
Minister for Manpower
Singapore
By email
11 April 2026
Dear Minister,
We refer to the recent statement by the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (H.O.M.E.) on the planned increase in foreign worker levies under Budget 2026.
Migrant workers play a vital role in Singapore’s economy and society. They contribute significantly to key sectors – construction, marine, hospitality, food and beverage and within the home as domestic workers and caregivers.
At MARUAH, as a human rights organisation, we remain concerned in ensuring that the rights of these foreign women and men are fulfilled as they provide essential services for the well-being of people in Singapore and also strengthen the growth of our economy.
Hence, MARUAH supports the call made by H.O.M.E for more strategic use of foreign worker levies collected, estimated to be $7 billion for the year 2026. We endorse the calls made for a portion of the levies to be directed towards:
● medical subsidies for foreign workers many of whom are exposed to occupational hazards;
● social security for migrant workers who can retrieve this sum upon returning to their countries of origin, giving them a much-needed safety net; and
● payments for training costs for migrant workers, saving them from incurring repayment debts made with employment agencies.
It is MARUAH’s argument that it is time for Singapore over its decades of being dependent on migrant workers, to also pitch itself as a global leader in sustainability. By aligning our policies with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 10, 16, and 17, Singapore can position itself not only as a country of destination with appropriate laws, but also as a visionary partner in the global market of shared responsibility and global citizenry.
We do recognise that the levy is an important tool in managing Singapore’s labour market and the ongoing efforts to calibrate this framework. Nonetheless, the inflow of foreign labour still rises with employers continuing to make these levy payments.
As such it is time for Singapore to move further on ensuring that portions of the levies collected are also used to improve and increase benefits for the migrant labour force at their individual level.
We reiterate that Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment”. Part of ensuring ‘just and favourable conditions” prevail must mean investing in social security and making healthcare affordable and accessible for all migrant workers.
The time has come for our country to do better by migrant workers and so embrace being part of an aligned member in the international community that values the dignity and well-being of migrant workers.
Thank you, Minister.
With best wishes,
Braema Mathi
President, MARUAH
MARUAH Singapore 