In a landmark legal judgment, a foreign government has been ordered to pay substantial compensation to a victim of modern slavery exploited by one of its diplomats on British soil.
The High Court has mandated the United Arab Emirates to pay over £260,000 in damages to a woman who was subjected to domestic servitude by diplomat Salem Mohammed Sultan Aljaberi and his family while they were posted in London.
The court heard that the woman, a 35-year-old of Filipino origin, began working for the Aljaberi family in the UAE in 2012. The following year, she was brought to the UK with them. For 89 days, she was effectively imprisoned in their London residence, only managing to escape when the family accidentally left a door unlocked.
Justice Lavender, presiding over the case, described the situation as a clear “case of modern slavery.” Evidence presented showed the woman was forced to work an average of more than 17 hours per day, caring for children and performing domestic duties without any rest days, breaks, or proper time off. She was confined to the flat, denied adequate food, and subjected to verbal abuse and threats. Her passport was withheld, and she was isolated with no support network in the country.
Her remuneration was described as exploitative, receiving only £400 for the 12-week period in London—a fraction of the UK minimum wage at the time.
The total award of £262,292.76 covers damages for false imprisonment, personal injury, and psychological harm, including a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder directly resulting from her ordeal. The judge noted that part of the damages were “exemplary,” or punitive, citing the diplomat’s “cynical disregard” for the claimant’s rights and his financial exploitation.
The UAE government did not participate in the court proceedings. The victim was officially recognised as a trafficking survivor by the UK Home Office in 2014 and was later granted leave to remain.
Legal representatives for the victim hailed the decision as a critical step toward accountability. “Domestic workers in diplomatic households have been vulnerable to abuse for too long,” stated solicitor Zubier Yazdani. “Sending states should share responsibility where their diplomats exploit domestic workers.”
This ruling establishes a significant precedent, marking the first time a foreign state has been held financially liable in a UK court for acts of domestic servitude committed by one of its accredited diplomats.