SINGAPORE — A man known for championing migrant worker rights in Singapore has come under fire from the same community, with several workers accusing him of taking thousands of dollars in payment for work permits and visas abroad that never materialised.

Mr Sazzad Hossain, a 30-year-old Singaporean who runs recruitment agency SDI Global, was accused earlier this month of targeting Bangladeshi workers here and allegedly luring them with attractive opportunities, after their stint in Singapore, to work in countries such as Australia and Canada. 

The allegations were published in a forum letter in Banglar Kantha, a Bengali newspaper in Singapore, and reposted on the Instagram account Migrant Workers Singapore. 

The letter highlighted the workers' plight, claiming that they had lost "thousands of dollars, their hopes of a better life shattered, and left with no recourse".

It also urged the Singapore Government and the Bangladeshi embassy here to investigate the matter.

In response, Mr Sazzad — who has also been teaching English to migrant workers since 2013 — told TODAY that the recruitment process has been "slow" due to complex immigration procedures in countries such as the Czech Republic and France.

He also said that he charges workers a US$1,000 (S$1,345) registration fee and another US$4,000 for visa processing upon securing a job offer.

This amounts to about S$6,800 in total. 

In a 2021 survey by migrant workers' rights group Transient Workers Count Too, it was found that Bangladeshi respondents pay a median recruitment fee of S$6,000 each to work in Singapore.

Mr Sazzad said that "unforeseen hiccups" in securing visas and work permits, including embassy appointment delays, have caused long waiting periods of up to a year. 

He added that 95 per cent of the 250 workers who engaged his company's services have been refunded, and the remaining 5 per cent are in process.

Currently, workers would be refunded 80 per cent of their fees, with the balance returned as a credit voucher. Mr Sazzad said that this was to cover SDI Global's expenses, which "exceeded 20 per cent of the cost".

The 80 per cent refund complies with laws by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requiring at least 50 per cent of agency fees to be refunded if a worker's employment is not secured, he added.

SDI Global was started in end-2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is listed as an MOM-licensed employment agency, and it claims on its website that the ministry is one of its partners in "finding the right migrant talents" for employment.

In response to TODAY's queries, MOM said that it is following up on the allegations made against SDI Global to ascertain if the activities have breached any regulations.

The ministry also said that it does not have any partnerships with SDI Global. The company initiated a rebrand to Crane HR in 2022 and is expected to complete the transition early next year. 

In a previous case, MOM had said that under the Employment Agencies Act 1958, organisations and individuals who place jobseekers with employers within or outside of Singapore must obtain an employment agency licence to operate in Singapore.

"Jobseekers are reminded that they should not pay fees to their employment agencies until they are successfully placed with an employer," MOM said then. 

ALLEGATIONS PUBLISHED 

Speaking to TODAY, Banglar Kantha's chief editor AKM Mohsin, 60, said that his writer compiled grievances from around 20 workers into a forum letter that was edited and published.

One Bangladeshi worker, 33, who declined to reveal his name, said that he discovered SDI Global's Facebook posts advertising overseas jobs in 2022.

Showing receipts to TODAY, he claimed that he paid slightly more than S$8,000 to speed up the immigration process, but his visa application to France was unsuccessful.  

Mr Sazzad refuted this, saying that he never charges more than US$5,000, and that it is not possible to expedite the immigration process.

"Why would a worker pay (so much)? It doesn't make any sense (to pay more money because) immigration doesn't work that way," he said.

The worker said that he was initially attracted to the idea after hearing Mr Sazzad talk about opportunities in Europe due to a manpower crisis in countries such as France.

"I called him that day, telling him I wanted to go to Europe and improve my life," he said. 

"He assured me that the work permit would come soon, but I waited for months, and nothing came. I just told him that I want my money back."

Although the worker did receive his 80 per cent refund from SDI Global, he still hopes to get the remaining 20 per cent back to support his parents, who suffer from health conditions.

Another Bangladeshi worker, 38, who received his refund for his application to France, said that he understood Mr Sazzad's explanation for why the remaining 20 per cent of the S$6,800 he paid could not be refunded in cash.

"I waited for five to six months but couldn't wait any longer. I needed the money back because my wife was sick, and Mr Sazzad explained everything nicely to me throughout the waiting period."

Not all workers who applied to SDI Global were unsuccessful, Mr Sazzad said.

Showing some approved work visas to TODAY, he said that three applicants had secured employment in New Zealand.

One of them, a Bangladeshi worker, 34, who declined to be named, is now working as a painter in South Island, New Zealand. He successfully completed his work visa application last year after waiting five to six months in Singapore. 

The worker said that he agreed to the opportunity in early 2023 when Mr Sazzad approached him, believing it would pay better than in Singapore.

"I heard some people say things about Mr Sazzad, but I didn't listen. I paid more than S$6,000 with my hard-earned savings. The paperwork process was smooth, and I am happy I was successful," he added. 

'COMPLEX' IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES

When TODAY reached out to Mr Sazzad, he said that securing overseas jobs for these workers was challenging due to "complex" immigration procedures, resulting in significant delays.

Although his team of three was able to secure some 40 work permits for the Czech Republic, France and New Zealand, the process was hampered by the visa application, since most European countries require both a work permit and a visa for foreign labour. 

The other countries that the workers applied to were Australia and Canada, where Mr Sazzad said there are "severe" labour shortages, and migrant workers would be best placed to plug the gap. 

“We faced difficulties in securing embassy appointments because the limited appointment slots, as well as other factors, have slowed things down. For example, the economy in New Zealand is slower, so things are taking longer there,” he said. 

“While we have had a few successful cases, others are taking more time. In such cases, we refund 80 per cent of the payment and provide a 20 per cent credit voucher for future use, similar to an airline credit system.” 

Mr Sazzad explained that the company was unable to provide a full refund due to its fixed expenses, adding that this policy had also been explained to every worker upon registration. 

“We don’t have the cash flow to provide a 100 per cent refund. That’s why we are building technology and getting investment to make it cost-effective so that no upfront payment will be required in future.”

WILL CONTINUE SEEKING JOBS FOR WORKERS

Mr Sazzad told TODAY that refunds for the workers were issued in four instalments due to cash flow issues, and he and his team are working to raise funds to pay the remaining few workers back in the next 60 days.

Regarding future plans, he said that the company will continue to secure employment for workers.

He added that he spent the last five weeks in Australia and New Zealand collaborating with immigration lawyers and associate recruitment partners to achieve this goal, although he noted that the current economic situation is causing delays.

"We have signed a contract with a recruitment group in Australia for 200 workers that we hope to fulfil soon. I am planning to return to New Zealand next month to secure more employment opportunities for those still keen to continue the process," he said.

"However, as many workers are understandably impatient, we are also seeking additional funding to refund them. We are hopeful that once the situation improves, many will return, especially after the end of their employment.

“We are very clear on our mission to empower migrant workers, but as a start-up, it will take time. We are constantly communicating with the workers who are waiting.”

As for the forum letter published, ⁠Mr Sazzad said that his lawyer has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Mr Mohsin for publishing the "slanderous article" without seeking any clarification from him.