We welcome the Second Reading of the Domestic Abuse Bill, Elizabeth Jiménez-Yáñez from The Step Up Migrant Women coalition, said:
“COVID-19 has highlighted the urgent need for legislation that properly protects all victims from domestic abuse. We’re facing an unprecedented domestic abuse crisis and now is a critical moment to fix it.
“Ministers must take this opportunity to inject fairness into a system which currently leaves migrant women completely unprotected from this horrendous crime – 4 in 5 are turned away from refuges and they often have no access to public funds, meaning they have no-where to turn for safety.
“The Domestic Abuse Bill is a crucial opportunity to transform the current system into one that treats all victims as victims – ensuring all women can access support and safety, no matter who they are or where they’re from.”
The Step Up Migrant Women campaign – a coalition of more than 50 BME and migrant specialist frontline services, domestic abuse services, social justice and human rights organisations, led by the Latin American Women’s Rights Service – recently wrote an open letter to the Home Secretary, asking for emergency provisions for the sector in light of the COVID-19 emergency, but are yet to receive a response.
ENDS
Media contact info:
LAWRS: Elizabeth Jiménez-Yáñez – elizabeth@lawrs.org.uk
Amnesty UK: Ella Berny – ella.berny@amnesty.org.uk
Step Up Migrant Women 