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From amplifying women migrant workers' voices to employer training and healthcare enhancements, the Southeast Asian countries are taking steps to improve migrant worker welfare.
Recent initiatives in Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore show continued focus on supporting migrant workers through leadership, fair recruitment, protection and healthcare access. Indonesia, for one, is taking steps to empower women to lead and advocate for safe migration.
At the same time, Thailand is equipping employers to uphold rights and prevent workplace harassment; and Singapore is improving access to affordable primary healthcare.
Highlights of some of these initiatives are shared below:
Indonesia: Amplifying women migrant workers’ voices
Indonesia has strengthened the voices and leadership of women migrant workers through cross‑border digital capacity‑building and dialogues. Organised by the International Labour Organisation, UN Women, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, the activities were held under the theme ‘strengthening voices and cross‑border solidarity in the digital space to achieve fair recruitment and decent work free from violence against women migrant workers.
Women migrant worker vloggers and community leaders produced gender‑responsive, evidence‑based digital content to prevent fraud, violence, and harassment, and engaged with officials and local communities in Indonesia and destination countries. Dialogues and awareness‑raising sessions were delivered through migrant worker resource centres in five districts, supporting workers from pre‑departure to return.
Thailand: Empowering employers to support migrant workers
In Thailand, around 30 employers from migrant labour sectors recently attended a workshop in Kanchanaburi province to strengthen their capacity to support workers post-arrival. The training, under the ILO’s 'PROTECT' project, covered labour rights, occupational safety and health, and how to plan orientation programmes for migrant workers.
Employers discussed legal responsibilities, worker skills and training needs, and developed workplace-specific orientation plans. Insights from the workshop will feed into a guide promoting employer-led post-arrival orientation as part of fair recruitment practices. The provincial Department of Labour Protection and Welfare also helped connect employers with labour inspectors to ensure ongoing support and compliance.
Singapore: Enhancing primary healthcare for migrant workers
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has announced enhancements to the Primary Care Plan (PCP), the country’s healthcare scheme for migrant workers. Introduced in 2022, the PCP provides primary care services including physical and telemedicine consultations for acute or chronic conditions, at a fixed annual capitation rate. It is mandatory for Work Permit and S Pass holders living in dormitories or working in construction, marine shipyard and process sectors.
From April 2027, six geographic sectors will be consolidated into four, more clinics will be available, and co-payment costs will be standardised. A centralised enrolment portal will simplify employer registration. Employers of S Pass holders not living in dormitories may opt out of the PCP from early 2026 if workers have comparable corporate healthcare coverage.
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