Author: SEEAWA

On Monday, 29 June 2026, the Southeast and East Asian Women’s Association (SEEAWA) brought vital conversations regarding modern-day slavery, systemic exploitation, and migrant domestic workers directly to the heart of British democracy. Held in Committee Room 18 at the Palace of Westminster, our parliamentary event served as an urgent platform to demand systemic change, break down long-standing barriers, and—most importantly—center the lived experiences of women whose labor too often remains unseen and unprotected.  

We owe an immense debt of gratitude to Liam Conlon MP and his office for generously hosting us in Parliament, ensuring that the realities facing Southeast and East Asian migrant workers were heard by policymakers.

Key Highlights & Research Insights

The afternoon featured critical presentations and discussions examining the structural vulnerabilities embedded in current migration and labor frameworks:

Unveiling Research from the University of Nottingham: Academic researchers presented data illuminating the systemic vulnerabilities that trap migrant domestic workers in conditions close to modern-day slavery. The findings exposed how exclusionary visa systems and precarious employment protections create environments ripe for coercion, isolation, and wage theft.

A Powerful Panel Discussion: Chaired by Councillor Lotis Bautista to foster rigorous dialogue, our expert panel featured prominent voices including Baroness Butler Sloss, representatives from Unite alongside dedicated advocates from domestic worker grassroots organisations such as Voice of Domestic Workers,  UDWA; charities and organisations involved with human rights, including Kalayaan, Salvation Army; lawyers, businesses, journalists and students. The panel unpicked the legal and economic mechanisms that allow exploitation to persist behind closed doors, emphasizing that modern slavery is fundamentally a financial and human rights crisis rather than merely an immigration issue.

Hearing the Voices of Women: The most resonant moments of the day belonged to the women themselves. Hearing testimonies directly from workers laid bare the psychological toll of isolation, the fear of destitution, and the courage required to speak out against abusive employers.

Core Policy Takeaways

Discussions throughout the afternoon coalesced around two urgent, non-negotiable priorities for reform:

1. Abolishing the “Tied Visa” System: The current Overseas Domestic Worker (ODW) visa ties a worker’s legal status strictly to a single employer, effectively trapping victims of abuse. Workers cannot leave dangerous environments without immediately facing criminalization or immigration penalties.

2. Reforming the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) Dead-End: Even survivors who receive a “Conclusive Grounds” decision via the NRM face a devastating cliff-edge deportation after just two years, with no clear pathway to settlement. Without Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), traffickers maintain psychological leverage over victims. We continue to urge a return to pre-2012 rules—allowing workers to change employers, extending initial visas to 2.5 years, and providing a secure route to settlement.  

What Happens Next?

The momentum generated within the Houses of Parliament on 29 June does not stop at the Palace gates. SEEAWA, alongside our coalition partners and grassroots allies, is translating the day’s insights into direct advocacy:

Parliamentary Follow-Ups: We are continuing our dialogue with Liam Conlon MP and parliamentarians across parties to press for legislative amendments addressing tied visas and worker protections.

Community-Led Support: We are expanding our outreach to ensure that migrant women know their rights, have access to trusted legal networks, and find immediate community solidarity.

Amplifying the Movement: We invite all members, allies, and supporters to stay engaged as we push for accountability, transparency, and structural reform at the national level.

Thank you to everyone who attended, supported, and lent their voice to this vital cause. Together, we are turning invisibility into visibility, and vulnerability into collective strength.

This piece was written by our work experience student, who drew deep inspiration from the illustrative work of artist Lucy Kirk. Known for her bold lines, vibrant characters, and deeply expressive human forms, Kirk’s art often captures a sense of community, raw emotion, and shared humanity.

In exploring the heavy and often hidden realities of Overseas Migrant Domestic Workers, our student wanted to counter the isolation these workers face by centering the concepts of care and love—both as a theme of resistance and as a guiding principle for policy change. By looking at structural policy through a lens of empathy and artistic solidarity, we aim to bring these hidden experiences out from behind closed doors and into the light.

We are thrilled to spotlight Panubli, an inspiring social enterprise founded by our brilliant SEEAWA colleague, Jutheanne!

Panubli, in collaboration with SEEAWA, has launched an innovative pilot programme to train women in Hilot—the ancient, traditional Filipino art of wellness, massage, and bodywork. What it teaches goes far beyond technique. This pilot does something profoundly beautiful: it offers women this deeply rooted healing practice as a tool to recover from domestic violence, while simultaneously paving a pathway toward financial independence and professional empowerment. Panubli means “inheritance” in the Visayan dialect. A tradition passed down directly from her one lineage of grandmothers.

The Power of Hilot: What Science and Tradition Tell Us

For centuries, Hilot has been used in the Philippines as a holistic system of care, treating the body, mind, and spirit as an interconnected whole. Through techniques like Hagod (long, stroking pressure) and Pindot(targeted acupressure), Hilot helps to release “lamig” (physical and energetic blocks) and restore natural balance.

Academic and clinical research heavily supports this kind of somatic (body-based) approach to trauma recovery.

• Somatic Trauma Release: The body remembers. Trauma and emotional distress don’t stay in the mind alone. Studies in psychology and neurobiology show that trauma and emotional distress are physically stored in our nervous systems and muscle tissue. While traditional talk therapy is incredibly valuable, physical practices like therapeutic touch and massage are clinically proven to lower cortisol (stress hormones), soothe the sympathetic nervous system, and help survivors of trauma safely reconnect with their bodies.
• Indigenous Psychology as Resistance: Academic movements in Asian Indigenous Psychology highlight how returning to precolonial, culturally rooted healing methods allows communities to heal on their own terms. It bypasses rigid Western medical frameworks, creating a deep sense of pride, identity, and collective resilience.

Building Financial Freedom through Social Enterprise

Sovereignty, Built Through the Body. What makes Panubli revolutionary is what it refuses to be: a short-term fix. Instead, it hands women — many of them survivors of abuse and exploitation — a skilled, professional trade they can carry for life.

By certifying and training women in this traditional modality, the initiative models a path to true financial autonomy. It allows women to generate their own income, reclaim control over their lives, and build a career that is inherently grounded in care, community, and cultural heritage. It is a tangible example of what “joy and resistance” looks like in practice!

A Circle to Belong To

This work lives inside the SEEAWA Community Healing Circle, the first home for Panubli, and the space holding this inheritance as it grows.

Our pioneer cohort, Kalinga Circle, has already begun. A waitlist is now open for the next cohort  if you’d like to join, email us at info@seeawa.org.uk.

And if you simply want to stand behind this initiative as a member and help it grow, we’d love to have you. Reach out to info@seeawa.org.uk to become a member of the Circle.

Whether you want to learn more about their training pilot, book a deeply restorative massage session, or simply show your solidarity, we highly encourage the SEEAWA community to show up and support.

Experience Panubli This Summer & Autumn!

You can learn more about the training pilot and support the initiative directly at two upcoming festivals, where Panubli will share collaborative, public-facing spaces:

• Medicine Festival: 12–17 August 2026 Panubli stand-alone event
• ESEA (East and Southeast Asian) Festival in Battersea: 11–13 September 2026 Panubli in collaboration with SEEAWA event

Keep an eye on our social media updates, follow @panublihilot on Instagram, and come find us at the festivals. Your presence is part of how this grows.

On behalf of SEEAWA, our colleague Lyn recently had the honour of attending and speaking at the Philippine Independence Day celebration hosted by the Chaplaincy. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our mission with the community and connect our current struggles for safety and dignity with the rich history of resistance.

In marking Philippine Independence Day, we took time to specifically honour the women who sacrificed so much for freedom. Whether they took up arms directly against colonisers, or served as healers, carers, and providers for the freedom fighters, we carry their legacy of courage with us today.

That same spirit of solidarity and survival is at the heart of everything we do at SEEAWA. As an inclusive, non-hierarchical collective, we walk alongside Southeast and East Asian women in the UK who are navigating complex challenges—from immigration, asylum, and domestic violence, to exploitation and mental health struggles.

The journey from isolation to leadership is not easy, but through our community programs, we are seeing incredible transformations. Many who first came to us seeking safety are now stepping forward as empowered leaders and advocates in their own right.

A huge thank you to the Chaplaincy for welcoming us so warmly. We look forward to continuing to build safe, joyful spaces of resistance together, ensuring every woman has the freedom to live with dignity and hope.

The South East and East Asian Women’s Association (SEEAWA) recently hosted a dedicated Art for Wellbeing event, designed and led by our wonderful community member, Yvette. The session brought together ESEA mothers and their children for a creative afternoon focused on rest, relaxation, and community building.

Moving beyond traditional discussion groups, Yvette structured the event around the physical acts of making, sharing, and resting together. The afternoon provided a much-needed space for mothers to step away from daily pressures, bond with their children, and connect with peers who share similar cultural backgrounds.

The Power of Creating Together

The core of the event centered on painting and collaborative artwork. Rather than focusing on a rigid final product, Yvette encouraged participants to use art as a tool for mindfulness and emotional expression.

• Creative Expression: Mothers and children worked side-by-side, using canvas and paint to explore colors and shapes in a relaxed, pressure-free environment.
• Shared Bonding: The tactile nature of painting allowed mothers and their children to collaborate directly, opening up new pathways for communication and mutual joy.
• Somatic Relaxation: The focused, repetitive motions of art-making helped participants slow down, ground themselves, and release tension.

Food, Community, and Mutual Support

True to SEEAWA’s core values, community building extended well beyond the art supplies. The event balanced creative time with shared meals, recognizing that eating together is a foundational element of comfort, connection, and cultural heritage.

While the children engaged with their artwork, mothers had the opportunity to share experiences, exchange stories, and offer mutual support in an informal, welcoming setting. By blending art-making with communal dining, the event created an environment where connection happened naturally—not just through deliberate talking, but through the shared experience of creating and nourishing one another.

We extend our deepest thanks to Yvette for planning and leading such a meaningful afternoon. The event stands as a beautiful example of how intentional, creative spaces can foster deep rest, joy, and lasting community solidarity among ESEA women and their families.

Overseas and migrant domestic workers are foreign nationals who move to perform remunerated work in or for a private household and suffer deeply behind closed doors. Many experience physical and emotional abuse, restricted freedoms, as well as low wages, informal employment without contracts, having their passports confiscated, and forced labour.

This issue has steadily increased over the years. Some of the main problems domestic workers face include abuse and violence. According to the University of Nottingham, 42% of workers reported experiencing threatening behaviour from their employer and a third reported physical abuse. Another main factor is wage theft. Again, according to the University of Nottingham, 41% of workers in high-risk sectors have reported that their income is either being withheld or drastically undercut, falling well below the minimum wage.

Lastly, forced labour, in nations utilising tied-visa or sponsorship contracts, for example in the Middle East, workers can be criminalised if they attempt or are caught fleeing from their abusive employer, according to the Guardian.

Now, many organisations, big and small, have attempted to contribute to ending injustice for domestic workers, including the Baroness Elizabeth Butler Sloss. She is a retired English judge and was the first-ever female Lord Justice of Appeal, considered the highest-ranking female judge till 2004. She chaired the inquests of famous figures, including the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed until 2007, eventually standing down. She advocated for justice for migrant domestic workers (MDWS) and recently attended a parliamentary committee meeting discussing research and firsthand accounts as MDWs serving as examples of her engagement on the issue.

To conclude the in-depth research compiled by the University of Nottingham and SEEAWA funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the UK’s ODW (Overseas domestic workers) visa system structurally increases the risk of abuse and undermines the protective intent of modern slavery and domestic abuse legislation.

By restoring the right to change employers, strengthening employer accountability and providing alternative routes to regularisation, it would aid in aligning immigration policy with the UK’s commitments to combat modern slavery and violence against women and girls.   

On Tuesday, 14th July, SEEAWA representatives attended the Home Office’s online engagement session for the Overseas Domestic Worker Review. The meeting brought together key stakeholders from migrant charities, domestic worker associations, and trade unions to discuss critical gaps in current immigration policies and identify the primary barriers to worker safety.

Overcoming Barriers to Settlement

A central focus of the session was addressing the ongoing challenges faced by domestic workers who entered the UK prior to 2012. Many in this cohort have been left unable to secure formal settlement, leaving them in a state of long-term immigration insecurity. Attendees highlighted the systemic barriers preventing these individuals from regularising their status, emphasizing that legal precarity severely increases a worker’s vulnerability to exploitation.

Key Policy Priorities Raised by Advocates

During the consultation, SEEAWA and fellow advocacy groups put forward specific, urgent recommendations to protect workers from modern slavery and institutional abuse:

• Reinstating Pre-2012 Protections: Attendees argued that a complete return to the pre-2012 ODW visa concession is the single most effective structural change required. Restoring the original visa conditions would allow workers the right to renew their visas annually and change employers freely, providing a practical route to escape abusive conditions.
• Implementing a Clear Reporting Firewall: Advocates stressed the immediate need for a strict data-sharing firewall between the police, the NHS, and Immigration Enforcement. Without the guarantee that reporting abuse will not lead to detention or deportation, victims remain forced to suffer in silence.

Addressing Third-Party Negligence and Agency Abuse

The discussion also exposed the severe challenges workers face from unregulated or negligent recruitment practices. Attendees shared troubling evidence showing that exploitation does not always originate solely from the immediate employer; it is frequently enabled by recruitment agencies.

Stakeholders highlighted cases where agencies noticed profound contractual discrepancies but failed to support the worker. In some instances, agencies permitted domestic workers to sign contracts under entirely different names—such as using the name of an abusive employer’s relative—to bypass existing Home Office bans on known abusers. Participants urged the review to account for this institutional negligence, noting that enabling hidden employment structures constitutes a direct form of systemic abuse.

The Scope of the Review and Next Steps

While we were grateful for the chance to share these thoughts directly with civil servants, it is important to note the limitations of the session’s scope. The Home Office’s agenda was strictly focused on supporting pre-2012 domestic workers and identifying their specific barriers to settlement.

Broader systemic changes—such as implementing an NHS or police reporting firewall, or completely reversing the ODW visa concession rules—are political decisions outside the direct control or focus of the Home Office staff conducting this operational review. Realizing these protections requires political will and legislative changes from elected politicians.

Because these wider protections are decided by lawmakers, we strongly encourage our community members and supporters to write to their local MPs. Raising these urgent issues with your MP is a vital step in pressuring politicians to close the legal loopholes that leave domestic workers vulnerable to abuse and modern slavery.

The Home Office is accepting additional evidence and written contributions regarding the Overseas Domestic Worker Review until 28th July.

Coinciding with International Domestic Workers’ Day (June 16), landmark legal victories in the UK and Switzerland are redefining the boundaries of diplomatic immunity, ruling it cannot shield employers from accountability in cases of worker exploitation, human trafficking, or modern slavery.

Key rulings between 2022 and 2026 include:

 2026 (UK): A court ordered the UAE to pay £260,000 in damages to a domestic worker exploited by an envoy.

 2025 (Switzerland): The Swiss Federal Court stripped away immunity defenses, allowing maltreatment cases to be evaluated as standard employer-employee disputes.

 2022 (UK): Courts established that diplomatic immunity does not apply when there is evidence of human trafficking or modern slavery.

These rulings follow a Rappler investigative report, supported by the Pulitzer Center, which exposed a history of exploitation—including wage theft, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse—affecting over 200 migrant domestic workers across 18 countries between 1988 and 2021.

While enforcement remains challenging, these decisions represent a massive win for labor rights. To amplify awareness, Filipino migrant content creators are launching a coordinated campaign to highlight these legal precedents and celebrate the courage of the workers who fought for justice.

A recent BBC report on the use of the domestic abuse concession for citizenship has sparked a dangerous narrative of “loopholes.” For the Southeast and East Asian (ESEA) women we support at SEEWA, this framing couldn’t be further from the truth. It ignores a staggering economic reality: the failure to provide early intervention for migrant survivors is a multi-billion-pound drain on the UK.

The Economic Evidence

Domestic abuse costs the UK economy approximately £85 billion annually. Research shows that for every £1 invested in early intervention, the state saves £9 in long-term health, police, and justice costs. Yet, ESEA women married to UK nationals often face a “cliff-edge” of support.

Without access to welfare (No Recourse to Public Funds) or secure housing, survivors are forced into high-cost emergency accommodation or destitution. This isn’t just a human rights failure; it’s fiscal irresponsibility. The narrative of “fraud” collapses under the data: while 32,000 migrant survivors need help annually, only about 5,500 successfully access the concession. The problem isn’t over-usage—it’s that thousands are too terrified to come forward.

The Path Forward

Politicians must stop treating domestic abuse support as an immigration issue and start treating it as a public health and economic priority. We need:

• The “Firewall”: Safe reporting mechanisms so survivors can seek help without fear of deportation.
• Extended Support: Expanding the MVDAC window beyond three months to allow for recovery and evidence gathering.

How You Can Help

The public can challenge the “loophole” myth by sharing the economic facts. We must demand that our representatives fund “by-and-for” specialist services like SEEWA, which provide the culturally specific support needed to break the cycle of abuse.

It’s time to listen to ESEA women. Supporting survivors isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the only path that makes economic sense.

Earlier this month, SEEAWA was proud to participate in the Women Driving Change event, hosted by Rosa, the UK’s primary fund for women and girls. Representing our organization were Flora, from our frontline staff, and Coree, from our Board of Trustees.

The event served as a vital gathering for leaders across the women’s sector, focusing on the unique challenges and triumphs of female-led advocacy in the current climate. For SEEAWA, attending was a strategic priority. It provided a dedicated space to highlight the specific barriers faced by South East and East Asian women—an often underrepresented demographic in national policy discussions.

Throughout the day, our representatives engaged in workshops and networking sessions aimed at strengthening the infrastructure of women’s organizations. “Being in a room full of women dedicated to systemic change was incredibly validating,” noted our attending Trustee. “It reinforced that the work we do at SEEAWA isn’t just about local support; it’s about being part of a national movement for equity.”

By attending, SEEAWA has not only strengthened its relationship with Rosa but has also forged new links with sister organizations across the UK. We are excited to implement the insights gained—particularly around sustainable leadership and collaborative advocacy—to better serve our members.

We look forward to sharing more updates as these new connections turn into concrete projects. Thank you to Rosa for hosting such a transformative event and for supporting the drive for change.