More than 50,000 foreign workers attended celebrations across the island on Sunday to mark International Migrants Day, which is on Wednesday.

The festivities organised by the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) were held at two migrant worker recreation centres and three dormitories, where the workers also walked away with goodie bags and prizes from lucky draws.

In a fortuitous turn of events, the events also drew workers away from Little India, where alcohol was banned over the weekend and private bus services there suspended on Sunday in the wake of a riot there last week.

An MWC spokesman said the workers at the celebrations were also given brochures containing information on Singapore's employment laws, workers' rights, local customs and norms as well as MWC and its services.