Parliamentary committee concerned by culture of disbelief in asylum system and by situation of women with insecure immigration status who face domestic violence
In a report released today on violence against women, Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights has found that women in the asylum system face a culture of disbelief and double discrimination as asylum seekers and women.
Image credit: UK GovernmentYou can read the Committee's full report here and you can access the chapter dealing with issues of immigration and asylum separately here.
In the report as a whole, the Committee concludes that the Government’s progressive work on tackling violence against women and girls abroad is not translating into its domestic policy.
On the subject of women asylum seekers, the Committee said that, despite assurance to the contrary by Immigration Minister James Brokenshire, it was "disturbed by the evidence we received that the routine use of male interpreters, the operation of fast-track detention system and the reported culture of disbelief within the Home Office all result in victims suffering further trauma whilst seeking asylum or immigration to the UK. We find this unacceptable."
The report continued: "Given the nature of the concerns raised during our inquiry by NGOs and the medical profession regarding the detention of victims, we are concerned that those who allege that they are victims of violence against women and girls are being detained through the fast-track process and recommend a review of the screening process for this as a matter of urgency."
The Joint Committee on Human Rights report also raised concerns over the situation of women with insecure immigration status who are victims of domestic violence. Those who are not eligible for legal aid "were left with a choice of remaining in a violent relationship or facing destitution," the report said.
The Committee stated: "We are concerned that, during the time it takes for a spouse suffering from violence to regularise their immigration status, they are very often left facing destitution or having to remain in a violent relationship. We find it worrying that current Home Office policies leave people destitute during the asylum and immigration process and that this in itself leads to women being at a greater risk of being a victim of violence. This is in contrast to funding being provided by the Department for International Development to post-disaster zones which looks specifically to address such survival strategies used by women. We believe that this demonstrates the need for better co-ordinated domestic and international policies across Government department on asylum and immigration processes, as outlined in paragraph 27 of this Report. We also recommend that the Government address the issue of who bears responsibility for providing refuge space for women and girls who are victims yet may not be entitled to benefits. We also recommend that the Government ensures that sufficient financial provision is given to supporting these victims."