Loving the Foreigner—Even When They Have a Deadly Disease

Author - Umn ministry

June 04, 2021

Inspired by Deuteronomy, Singapore Christians win praise for serving migrant workers at epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak.

When Singapore detected its first case of COVID-19 in January 2020, containment seemed manageable—until the disease started spreading like wildfire among migrant workers.

While cases among the general population of 5.7 million only numbered about 10–20 a day, by April 2020 news agencies were reporting that infections among the Southeast Asian nation’s approximately 288,000 migrant workers—who live in small dormitories where social distancing is difficult—had spiked to 10,000 cases in one week.

In response, the government placed the workers in isolation in their dorms, preventing them from going out into the community—for five months.

The story of how local Christians stepped up to meet the need is an overlooked silver lining among all the gloomy headlines of the pandemic. And with Singapore re-entering a season of heightened restrictions last month as COVID-19 cases climbed again, the fact that migrant workers are not a focal point of the outbreaks shows how they are better taken care of now, due to the kampung (meaning village in Malay) spirit that led many Christians to serve Singapore’s least of these.

Trouble in paradise

Migrant workers in Singapore have traditionally led challenging lives in the island city-state. They hail mainly from India and Bangladesh, but also from Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. As the main source of labor for the wealthy nation’s construction projects and other low-wage jobs, they form a vital part of the Singaporean economy.

While some employers treat their workers well, other workers live hard lives facing long hours doing dangerous work for low pay (about $15 USD a day). They miss their loved ones in their home countries, and often feel the weight ...

“Migrant workers have been an immense blessing to us here in Singapore in more ways than one,” said Singapore pastor Guoliang Wong, one of the volunteers who visited the dorms. “And the least we can do is to show them the love of Christ by supporting and encouraging them through this crisis.”