On International Migrants Day, we are highlighting this important article written for us by the IAS:

Warning: This article contains potentially distressing material.

Written by Jo Smith, commentator at the Immigration Advice Service – an organisation of immigration lawyers which offers free and full legal aid to victims of domestic abuse.

The figures surrounding domestic violence and abuse make for depressing reading. They serve to highlight the inherent inequalities between men and women, with men overwhelmingly responsible for violence towards their spouses and partners, and women overwhelmingly the victims of it.

This Summer revealed that the rates of domestic abuse have reached their highest point in five years in the UK. With 173 people killed in domestic homicides just last year, it is clear that the issues surrounding domestic abuse need to be addressed in order to offer full protection for victims.

For those in abusive relationships, early intervention is the key to preventing the escalation of violent behaviour, and the risk of domestic murder. According to psychological studies, the sooner the cycle of abuse is broken, the higher the likelihood of the victim escaping with minimal harm. But for some women, seeking help simply isn’t an option.

Afraid to speak up

Women who are the subject of domestic violence often find themselves trapped in a cycle of fear and shame and this is particularly true of female migrants who may have concerns about approaching the authorities due to their immigration status.

The hostile environment, a national immigration policy which has been in effect since 2012, has made that situation significantly worse. This has resulted in authorities – like the police – reporting victims and witnesses of crime to the Home Office, a process which has been encouraged by the Government in a hope to meet deportation targets. Fear of being treated as a criminal rather than a victim of crime has led many women to stay silent for much longer, meaning they are more susceptible to ongoing abuse and domestic homicide. Since the policy was initiated, the number of women who have been deported following reports of domestic abuse has risen from 12% to 30%, demonstrating a worrying trend of criminalising the victims of crime simply to improve immigration figures.

Unfortunately – despite various organisations and campaigners pushing to eradicate it – the hostile environment still seems to have its claws in the UK’s laws and practices. Just last December, a secret data-sharing arrangement was exposed, which showed that almost every police force in England and Wales had reported migrant victims of abuse to immigration officials.

Financial control contributes to abuse

Some migrant of British citizens are often financially dependent on them --  particularly while they are awaiting the outcome of an application for a Spouse Visa, as they are unable to work during this time. Women who can't work are particularly vulnerable to domestic abuse and can find themselves trapped in violent situations for fear of destitution should they break the cycle.

This is particularly true in cases where children are involved, as the dependent partner may feel they would not be able to financially support them without their British partner’s income.

The Domestic Violence Bill proposed in parliament in July 2019 has been criticised for failing to go far enough to address the problems migrant women face in this country. The current situation is that migrant women avoid coming forward as they have developed a distrust for local and national authorities, including those which are supposed to protect them.

With domestic violence increasingly escalating to murder, there can be no justification for such a protection gap. While some forms of violent crime are coming under the spotlight, the problem of domestic violence, sexual assault and murder are being ignored in favour of prioritising the unrealistic immigration figures that the government seeks to achieve.

While other violence statistics make headlines, notably those that affect UK-born victims, the hundreds of women who are dying at the hands of their partners every day are not given the coverage that they warrant. With the tools to help available, but restricted for women just on the basis of where they are born, it appears that deportation is the ‘easy option’ for the Home Office, even when that means returning a woman to a culture where she is still at risk of violence.

Cultural violence should end here

Women all over the world are subject to domestic violence, but there are some countries where it is far more prevalent than the UK. Honour killings and forced marriage are markers for abuse and many women from cultures where these practices are acceptable find themselves stuck between violent relationships and social and financial isolation within their communities.

Despite the Prime Minister’s promises that he is committed to tackling the causes and effects of violent crime, the government response to the figures available is severely lacking. The Domestic Abuse Bill does not go far enough to guarantee victims of abuse a chance to escape with their lives and fear of deportation – fed by the hostile environment -- means that many are too scared to even try.

The UK should not be one of those countries where physical mistreatment of women is normalised, but the prioritisation of immigration targets over addressing the human rights of crime victims is making the UK an increasingly hostile place for women who need to seek help.

Further information about protecting migrant women is available on the Amnesty International website: