Diletta LauroAPPG Migration AGM March 2022
The APPG on Migration held its AGM on 30th March 2022, ahead of the event on ‘What’s next for migrant victims of domestic abuse with NRPF?’ Please see the minutes here for a record of current officers and an agenda of issues discussed: Annual General Meeting Minutes – Wednesday 30th March 2022.
A panel discussion on support provisions for migrant survivors of domestic abuse with NRPF
As the government’s Migrant Victim’s Pilot fund to support victims of domestic violence with no recourse to public funds was scheduled to come to an end by the end of the week, the APPG on Migration held a panel discussion on the support needed by this group of migrants going forward.
Chaired by Baroness Lister, the event included among panellists migrant survivors of domestic violence who courageously shared their first-hand experiences of the devastating effects of having no recourse to public funds (NRPF) on their lives. They discussed how the NRPF condition has hindered their access to safe accommodation at a time of most need, prevented them to leave their abusive partners while maintaining a relationship with their children due to financial dependence and fear of deportation, and affected their journey to re-gain confidence and financial independence post-abuse. Click below for a video recording of the first part of the event, which contains the testimony from the first survivor, Somiya, who eloquently tells her story.
The panel also featured insights from parliamentarians and policy makers with experience working on these issues, such as the Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee Caroline Nokes MP and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs. While they welcomed the Minister’s announcement of committing £1.4m of interim support for migrant victims until a decision is made on longer term support, panellists made a number of further recommendations to the government. These included improving data collection – and data sharing – on the needs of victims of domestic violence to achieve more tailored support, committing up to £6.2m as interim support fund for this cohort victims of domestic violence with NRPF, and ensuring that immigration status is no longer a barrier to access protection for victims of domestic abuse in the longer term. The Minister for Safeguarding, Rachel Maclean MP, could not attend the event in the end, as the government launched the Domestic Abuse Strategy on the same day. For a recording of the second part of the event which includes these perspectives please see the video below.
To read about Baroness Lister’s take on what is needed for the government to further support this group of victims of domestic violence following the event, please see this article in the Times Red Box.
