Rice with brown sugar was all that 31-year-old Moe Moe Than was allowed to eat. According to reports in local media, after the maid from Myanmar complained about not being fed properly, her employers force fed the mixture to her through a funnel. And after she needed to throw up, her employers then made her eat the vomit. Additionally, she had been caned and forced to perform chores in her underwear.

Read more: Saudi execution spotlights domestic workers' vulnerable lives

This case is just one example of what some foreign domestic workers (FDW) experience while being employed as maids in Singaporean households.

After Than's case was made public, her employers were each sentenced to almost three years in jail and they had to pay $10,000 (€9,000) in compensation to their victim.

At the time they hired Than, the two were reportedly out on bail after having been convicted for abusing their previous maid. And although these abusers were caught twice, most cases never make it to court and victims stay invisible.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Documenting migration Srikhoon Jiangkratok (on the right) was a first-generation migrant worker who came to Singapore in the early 1990s. Some of the more than 900 photos he took during his stint in the city-state are part of a web exhibition called "Work Men on the Move." The complete gallery including commentary can be found online at storyform.co/@speth-2/-734dab35c6bb.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Dangerous work at dizzying heights After working on construction sites in Bangkok for eight years, his company sent Jiangkratok to Singapore in 1994 as a foreman to build the famous Ritz Carlton Hotel. Foreign workers often do the so-called "triple-D-jobs" (difficult, dirty and dangerous), are usually organized in groups and specialize in specific work steps.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Crowded camp life In the 1990s, foreign workers in Singapore slept in over-crowded container camps. 25 men shared one container. "How to call it? It is a box," one Thai worker told German researcher Simon A. Peth (University of Bonn), who put together the online photo exhibition. He says migration was (and is) only worthwhile through overtime work. As a result, 10 to 14-hour days are the norm.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Precarious working conditions Back in the day, work accidents on the sometimes chaotic construction sites were inevitable — and disastrous for the injured. Then as now, says researcher Peth, immobility due to a broken leg or a similar injury means the end of a labor migration. Although employers must nowadays cover workers with their own health insurance, they are sometimes reluctant to pay the high costs injuries can incur.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Singapore's Central Business District, 1994 In the 1990s, Singapore was one of the top destinations of overseas migration from Thailand. Although the official figure is unknown, what's clear is that the number of Thai migrant workers has dropped considerably, to 15-20,000 in 2016 since its peak period, which lasted from the mid-1990s until 2010/11. In most camps, workers are separated by nationality to avoid conflicts.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Who built the modern city? "People who go to Singapore have been trained like soldiers, … if it is not the time to sleep, you don't sleep." That's how one Thai migrant worker described his experience. Since 1994, the year of Jiangkratok's arrival, Singapore's skyline and Central Business District (CBD) have undergone a transformation possible only with the help of millions of cheap labor migrants from around the world.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Home away from home? Located in Singapore's industrial far west, Tuas View is the city-state's largest dormitory for foreign workers with beds for 16,800 men. Its amenities include a mini-market, a beer garden, a 250-seat cinema as well as medical and shopping facilities. Although being hailed as the ideal model for housing workers, they have next to no privacy as 250 cameras monitor them around the clock.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Living on the edge Singapore's dormitories for foreign workers are strategically situated in non-residential areas on the city's fringe, from where it takes up to three hours to get to the CBD. Getting to Singapore in the first place is expensive: Labor agents demand around 80,000 Thai Baht (roughly €2,000). To put things into perspective: The average monthly household income in rural parts of Thailand is €254.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore More than a reception camp Completed in 1973, the Golden Mile Complex is largely an ethnic enclave for Singapore's Thai population and the central arrival point for buses with workers from Southern Thailand and Malaysia. Thais frequent the vast complex for the some 400 shops as well as a Thai supermarket, restaurants and bars; they also visit the doctor, send remittances home, get a hair cut or meet with their labor agents.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Taking care of business At the Thai Office of Labor Affairs in the Golden Mile complex, Thai workers can come with individual problems and sort out administrative, health- or employer-related issues. They can even do correspondence courses. In Singapore, daily wages are graded by nationality: According to reasearcher Peth, Thais earn 23 Singapore dollars ($17), Indians $14 and Myanmar citizens $12.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Strict segregation "I stayed in Singapore for almost 22 years, but Thailand is still my home. Singapore is a place to earn money, but here in Thailand I am happy." Part of Singapore's immigration policy is avoiding the mingling of migrant workers with its citizens. Company trucks haul workers to and from contruction sites. All this leads to a state of "permanent temporariness," as researchers have called it.

The tough life of Thai migrants in Singapore Returning home After having stayed in Singapore for three years supervising a group of 15 workers, photographer Srikhoon Jiangkratok returned to his village in Northeast Thailand in 1995. Talking about his motivation to take the pictures, he told German researcher Peth: "I took these photos because I wanted to show what it means to work abroad. It is tough." Author: Benjamin Bathke



An insidious problem

According to a 2017 study conducted by the independent institute "Research Across Borders," six out of 10 FDW in Singapore have experienced abuse. The study said the abuse comes in various forms ranging from verbal threats and being overworked to being beaten or deprived of food. Some are even told when they can use the toilet.

The study draws a shocking picture of systematic abuse and "grossly unequal power relations" between FDW and their employers. Despite these conditions, men and women from neighboring countries keep coming to Singapore to look for jobs.

Read more: Singapore 'maids for sale' ad sparks investigation

"We are talking about migrant workers from Myanmar, the Philippines or Indonesia, where the employment situation isn't great," said Sheena Kanwar, executive director of the HOME, an organization for FDW who have experienced abuse.

"Like most migrants they want to earn money to be able to support their families back home. They often risk their safety for the promise of a better life," she told DW.

Most FDW enter Singapore through recruitment agencies in exchange for a fee. During the first six or seven months, the money is then deducted from the worker's salary as compensation.

"This creates a very unhealthy form of bondage from the start," Kanwar said.

Additionally, FDW contracts in Singapore only have a live-in option, meaning that the employees are always around their employers.

"Nobody really knows what happens behind closed doors, so the regulation isn't easy. The workers are practically invisible," Kanwar said.

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No legal protection

According to the study, many FDW end up in harmful employment situations because they are the only group of migrant workers not protected under Singapore's Employment Act, but are covered under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

This means that the estimated 250,000 FDW in Singapore lack formal legal protection. Terms like salary, working hours and rest days can be decided by the employers, and there is only a guideline within the Foreign Manpower Act, but no legally binding conditions.

Kanwar believes that this lack of legal protection increases a sense of "ownership" over FDW that many employers have.

"It is a form of modern slavery. We have had nasty conversations with employers when we came in to take their [maids] to one of our shelters because they think they own that person," she said.

Employment reform needed

Than's ordeal came to light after the maid travelled back to Myanmar and confided in her recruitment agent about having been abused.

Later, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower was alerted and Than was asked to come back to Singapore and testify against her former employers in court. The case serves as a grim example of the abuse faced by FDW in Singapore.

Many of the maids who decide to run away from their employer and seek help are severely traumatized to such an extent that they fear to testify or claim compensation. Additionally, bringing these cases to court can take up to four years and chances of winning are often small.

Read more: Hong Kong woman convicted for beating Indonesian maid

Even though organizations like HOME are doing their best, offering shelter, legal aid and schooling options for abused FDW, Kanwar knows that Singapore needs to change its employment laws.

"Foreign domestic workers need to be included in the Employment Act so they can get legally binding contracts and proper protection by the law," she said.

Additionally, the head of HOME calls for a stricter regulation of the recruitment process that doesn't leave the maids in debt for months or even years.

"Foreign domestic workers also need a live-out option, to create a safe space they can return to after they finish working for the day."

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'Comprehensive protection for FDW'

In a reponse to DW's article, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that "the situation of for FDW in Singapore is definitely not grim."

Citing from its 2015 survey, the MOM says that "more than 97 percent of FDW in Singapore expressed high levels of satisfaction working in the country, and close to 80 percent wanted to continue working here."

The ministry also denies that the estimated 250,000 FDW in Singapore lack formal legal protection.

The MOM asserts that "Singapore's laws and regulations … provide comprehensive protection to FDW working here."

"They cover employers' responsibility to ensure adequate food, accommodation, mandatory rest days, prompt salary payment and safe working conditions," the MOM said. It adds that all cases of "abuses and exploitation of FDW are thoroughly investigated," and that perpetrators "face 1.5 times the maximum punishment under the Penal Code and are debarred from hiring FDW in the future."