"I no money, I no job," said Kesar (real name withheld on request), explaining why he worked illegally for a short spell. After he complained to his employer about deductions from his salary, he was threatened. "Boss angry and he say 'I send you back to Bangladesh'." Fearing capture and forced deportation by repatriation agents

The midnight air was humid and still. Russell slid his car into the driveway fronting the block of flats marked for the rendezvous, turned off his headlights, and rolled down his window glass to listen intently to the sounds emanating from the block. Nothing unusual so far -- a bit of distant television, a mother

Without work, Abubakar (right, above) was not getting any money and had to depend on free meals served by TWC2, but it wasn't because the scaffolder wasn't willing to work. It was simply because his boss was penalising him for refusing to take a pay cut. The boss had not assigned him to any work

Hanis came to Singapore in August 2009 from East Java for a job as a domestic worker. Like so many others, she hoped to make enough to help support her husband and two children -- a four-year-old son and a daughter aged 11, whom she left in the care of her mother. Her husband

Merry Maids from NJCPW075 on Vimeo. By KS Touched by the plight of foreign domestic helpers, a group of teenagers from the National Junior College decided to produce an animation video related to this issue. “Merry maids”, a two-minute video, was an idea suggested by group mate, Serena Khoo, who is half-Indonesian. Hearing stories from

By Ramesh Companies are using gangsters to intimidate, threaten and to ultimately send ‘troublesome’ workers home. Ali (not his real name) has seen better days. He wanders the labyrinthine alleys of Little India in search of friends and familiar faces. On some days all he needs are a warm wave of recognition and reassuring words,