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Our Campaigns

Change the exploitative Overseas Domestic Worker Visa

The current six-month visa ties workers to exploitative employers and makes it impossible for workers to enforce their labour rights.

Kalayaan is calling for an Overseas Domestic Worker visa that is renewable.  This would give exploited migrant domestic workers a real chance to change employer.  We are also calling for the visa to be 12 months in duration and for an option to lead to settlement.

READ MORE:
Kalayaan’s report on the ODW visa
Details of the Border Security Bill Amendment 153

The Right to Work in the NRM

Kalayaan is calling for migrant domestic workers who have been referred into the NRM to have the right to work while they wait for their status as survivors of slavery and trafficking to be recognised.

Survivors without the right to work in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) face declines in their mental and physical health, and risk being re-exploited due to financial pressure to support their families back home. Granting them the dignity of working will improve recovery and will contribute to the UK’s economy.

READ MORE:
Kalayaan’s series of reports on the right to work in the NRM
Details of the Border Security Bill Amendment 152

Ratify ILO Convention189

The International Labour Organisation Convention 189 calls for domestic workers to have the following rights:

  • An employment contract
  • Privacy and dignity
  • Reasonable and defined working & rest hours
  • Minimum wage
  • Minimum age of 16 but no night work until 18
  • Access to justice
  • Regulated employment agencies
  • Protection against abuse
  • Right to unionise

The UK must now ratify Convention 189 after abstaining in 2011.

 

 

Kalayaan clients write to their MPs call...

Kalayaan has been collaborating with King’s College London, The Voice of Domestic Workers (VO...

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20 Members of the House of Lords continu...

  Currently, thousand of survivors wait years in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for...

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Members of the House of Lords ask the Ho...

  On Friday 14 February 2025, 11 peers in the House of Lords sent a joint letter to...

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Ready, Willing & Able: Series of re...

  Kalayaan has published the last of five ‘mini reports’ on the right to work in the N...

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Ready, Willing and Able: Latest report s...

  Kalayaan has published the fourth of five ‘mini reports’ on the right to work in the...

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Ready, Willing and Able: Latest report s...

  Kalayaan has published the third of five ‘mini reports’ on the right to work in the ...

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Ready, Willing and Able: Latest report s...

Kalayaan has published the second of five ‘mini reports’ on the right to work in the Nation...

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New report sets out why all slavery surv...

  Today, Kalayaan has published the first of five ‘mini reports’ on the right to work ...

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Kalayaan celebrates Campaigning Group’...

  In the week before Anti-Slavery Day, on 11 October 2024, Kalayaan held a Showcase Event ...

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Kalayaan takes campaign message direct t...

  Earlier this month our Policy Officer Avril visited Brighton and Liverpool to participat...

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