Singapore's construction and marine industries among other labour-intensive sectors are highly dependent on migrant workers, a large number of whom comes from India and Bangladesh.

Manpower Minister Dr Tan See Leng laid out plans for improving the housing standards in dormitories for migrant workers in an interview published by The Straits Times on 'International Migrants Day' on Saturday.

Dr Tan said the Ministry of Manpower is exploring whether counselling services could be outsourced to the migrant workers' home countries so there is better cultural understanding.

"If you have someone from your home country or hometown, I think half the battle is won," he said.

"While the government has spearheaded these efforts, a whole-of-society effort is needed to ensure the well-being of our migrant workers," he said.

Dormitories, crowded with migrant workers, were among the main COVID-19 spreading clusters here during the peak of deadly disease wave in Singapore.

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