Pope Francis on Thursday called for migrant workers to be paid fairly as he visited the affluent city-state of Singapore on the final leg of his marathon tour of the Asia-Pacific.
The 87-year-old pope said “special attention” must be paid to “protecting the dignity of migrant workers” in a speech to local political leaders, civic groups and officials.
“These workers contribute a lot to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage,” he said.
There are an estimated 170 million migrant workers worldwide — about 5 percent of the global workforce — according to the International Labor Organization.
Most live in Europe, Central Asia and America.
But cheap labor has been instrumental in the rapid growth of glittering metropolises such as Dubai, Doha and Singapore.
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About 300,000 low-wage migrant workers are estimated to work in Singapore.
Advocates say they lack adequate protection against exploitation and sometimes endure poor living conditions, which the government denies.
The issue came to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic, when tens of thousands of migrant workers were forcibly confined to dormitories.
Many immigrants to Singapore come from South Asia and the Philippines, which have a large and highly devout Catholic majority.
The Pope made no specific reference to workers in Singapore, but his comments are likely to make the government uneasy.
The Argentine pontiff was otherwise glowing with his hosts, praising the entrepreneurial spirit, human ingenuity and dynamism that built a “mass of ultra-modern skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea”.
“Singapore is a mosaic of ethnicities, cultures and religions living together in harmony,” he said, portraying the population of nearly six million as a shining light to the world.
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“I encourage you to continue working for the unity and brotherhood of humanity and the common good of all peoples and all nations,” he said.
About 30 percent of Singaporeans are Buddhists, 20 percent have no religion, and the rest are a mix of Catholics, Protestants, Taoists, and Hindus.
‘I’m going to cry’
Singapore is the final stop on the Pope’s 12-day trip to four Asia-Pacific countries aimed at strengthening the Catholic Church’s position in the world’s most populous region.
Francis defied doubts about his health during a journey that took him from a grand mosque in Jakarta to a remote jungle in Papua New Guinea.
Despite recently undergoing hernia surgery and experiencing a series of breathing problems, he has made dozens of public engagements, activated churches and repeatedly sat for hours in the brutal tropical heat.
In East Timor, he held services for 600,000 worshipers — nearly half the nation’s population.
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Although the crowds were noticeably smaller in Singapore, groups of enthusiasts lined the main streets trying to catch a glimpse of the head of the Catholic Church.
Security was tight, with roads closed and police manning a series of roadblocks.
Welinda Elorde, a 56-year-old cancer survivor traveled from the Philippines for the occasion.
“I think I’m going to cry when I see him. I can feel the emotions now,” she said.
“I hope for a full recovery.”
Source: AFP