Demanding an end to the ‘no recourse’ clause, which is failing to protect women from domestic violence, Amnesty International activists banded together to lobby parliament last week.
The ‘no recourse’ loophole in UK Immigration legislation denies any persons of insecure status access to public funds. This means that an estimated 600 women suffering from domestic violence in the UK, don’t have access to the housing provisions, benefits and protection from homelessness, that British women do.
Included in this group are Asylum seekers and visa holders, including international students.
As a result many of the women, who are predominantly from ethnic minority backgrounds, become homeless to escape turbulent households and working environments, or are forced to return home and remain with their tormentors.
University of Manchester Students’ Union Women’s Officer Hazel Kent said: “I think it’s awful, it’s leaving women vulnerable and that isn’t acceptable.”
Over 100 Amnesty International activists met with 60 Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs, including Higher Education Minister David Lammy and MP for Rochdale Paul Rowan last week, to make amendments to policy so that women banded in this category could be exempt from regulations and provided with the same protection available to British victims.
After the session, Liberal Democrats Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne said: “It is inhumane that provisions to stop violence against women should be dependent on immigration status. Plans need to offer permanent solutions and be open to all women.”
Speaking on behalf of Amnesty International, Liz McKean who attended the lobby said it went “really well.”
Amnesty International had been working on getting a change for two years. “MPs are quite surprised that this is happening in the UK,” said McKean. “I think the fact that we are having this lobby shows that MPs do show an interest – a commitment to working with us.”
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