In a landmark ruling, a UK court has ordered the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to pay compensation to a woman held in modern slavery by a UAE diplomat in London. It marks the first time a British court has required a foreign state to compensate a survivor for modern slavery committed by one of its diplomats on UK soil—a major step forward in holding states accountable.

Diplomatic immunity cannot mean impunity

In 2013, a young Filipino woman moved to the UK with UAE diplomat Salem Mohammed Sultan Aljaberi and his family. Once in London they took her passport. She was locked in the house unless accompanied by a family member. She had no internet access and no freedom. According to the judge, she worked more than 17 hours a day on average. She had no rest days, no lunch breaks and no time off—all clear indicators of modern slavery.

For 12 weeks, her employers forced her to work and paid her just over $500. They broke the law—and exploited the deep power imbalance that migrant domestic workers are often forced to endure.

The Guardian reports her solicitor, Zubier Yazdani of Deighton Pierce Glynn, said:  

This is a welcome decision. It goes some way to providing accountability for the harm that my client suffered. Domestic workers in diplomatic households have been vulnerable to abuse for too long. Sending states should share responsibility where their diplomats exploit domestic workers. 

Domestic workers frequently fall through regulatory gaps. Their workplaces are private homes, hidden from public view. In many countries, including the UK, domestic work remains undervalued and poorly protected—creating conditions where abuse can flourish unchecked.

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