Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on the human security of low-income migrant workers’ in Singapore: Perspectives among policymakers, community stakeholders, and academic experts

Authors

  • Mukda Pratheepwatanawong Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University
  • Rayner Kay Jin Tan University of North Carolina Project China, Guangzhou, China and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
  • Waranya Jitpong Asian Research Center for Migration, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/arv.2024.6

Keywords:

low-income migrant workers, human security, COVID-19, singapore

Abstract

This research examines human security issues of low-income migrant workers in Singapore as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted stakeholder interviews and a review of secondary data, which were deductively analysed using themes adopted from a United Nations Development Programme human security framework. This research found that while several efforts by civil society and the government have been assessed to make a lasting, positive impact on human security, other areas may still have fallen short. We suggest that despite efforts to address the immediate needs of migrant workers, structural changes are needed to create a lasting impact on these workers who are instrumental to the nation’s growth.

Author Biographies

Mukda Pratheepwatanawong, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University

Dr Mukda Pratheepwatanawong is currently a Researcher at Center of Excellence for Mekong Studies, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Her PhD, which was fully funded by The University of Nottingham, explored the use of social media for Thailand's election campaign and political public relations using mixed methods. Her research interests include digital vote-canvassing networks, ASEAN connectivity, labour mobility, digital divide, human security, and education policies. As she continues her research on digital vote-canvassing networks and the use of social media for Thai election campaigns, she is also doing a systematic review on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on migrant workers in the ASEAN region.

Rayner Kay Jin Tan, University of North Carolina Project China, Guangzhou, China and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore

Dr Rayner Kay Jin TAN (he/him) is an Assistant Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, where received his PhD. He is also a visiting research fellow at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore. His research revolves broadly about the social determinants of health, community engagement, implementation science, and health equity of vulnerable communities. He is research and behavioural lead at HeHealth.ai and also leads several non-profit organisations in Singapore, including the Society of Behavioural Health Singapore, The Greenhouse Community Services (substance use and addiction recovery), Project X Singapore (sex workers’ rights and welfare), and SG Mental Health Matters (mental health policy advocacy).

Waranya Jitpong, Asian Research Center for Migration, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Waranya Jitpong is a Researcher at Asian Research Center for Migration, Institute of Asian Studies Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Her research interest is on migration and the dynamics of Thai Society. She has been involved in research on the preservation and promotion of Thailand’s short mackerel in its value chain. She also joined a project on Isan migration and the current situations and trends of employment and resettlement among elderly migrants.

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Published

2025-01-17

How to Cite

Pratheepwatanawong, Mukda, Rayner Kay Jin Tan, and Waranya Jitpong. 2025. “Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on the human security of low-income migrant workers’ in Singapore: Perspectives among policymakers, community stakeholders, and academic experts”. ASIAN REVIEW 37 (2):1-28. https://doi.org/10.14456/arv.2024.6.

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 2 (2024): July-December 2024

Section

Research Articles

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