Diplomats and abuse — chipping at the shied of immunity
Reporting for this project was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. For 12 years, Malaya*, a Filipino domestic worker , felt like her life was dictated by updates in the legal case against her former employer, an Emirati diplomat. She had been working for him in the Un
Reporting for this project was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center.
For 12 years, Malaya*, a Filipino domestic worker , felt like her life was dictated by updates in the legal case against her former employer, an Emirati diplomat. She had been working for him in the United Arab Emirates before moving with the foreign envoy and his family to London in 2013.
Court documents indicate that Malaya was imprisoned for 89 days in what was described as slave-like conditions. Once she had escaped, filing a case turned out to be difficult — Malaya faced years of bureaucratic delays and dismissal because her employer was protected by diplomatic immunity.
Earlier this year, a UK court ordered the UAE government to pay Malaya £270,000 (€312,290, $362,440) in damages for false imprisonment, unpaid wages, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"I really want to shout to the whole world that we did it. That's me. I never gave up. I can say it's a victory," a tearful Malaya told DW.
"We need to continue fighting, because I'm not fighting just for myself, but for everyone. I don't want anyone to experience the same horrible experience," she added.
The UAE Embassy in London did not respond to emails requesting a comment.
Malaya's case is one among others that signal a wider legal shift on diplomatic immunity . In 2022, UK courts ruled that diplomats cannot invoke immunity in cases linked to modern slavery or trafficking, while a 2025 Swiss ruling similarly opened the door for domestic worker exploitation claims to be examined as regular employer-employee labor disputes.
