New Report from Women’s Aid Reveals Growing Barriers to Safety for Survivors of Domestic Abuse
Women and children fleeing domestic abuse continue to face significant — and often life-threatening — obstacles, according to the ninth No Woman Turned Away (NWTA) report from Women’s Aid.
The 2024 report highlights the devastating consequences of a national shortage of refuge spaces, failings in statutory support, and the heightened risks experienced by migrant women and those with no recourse to public funds (NRPF).
Almost one in four women (23.7%) supported by NWTA were unable to secure a suitable refuge vacancy, despite repeated searches by specialist practitioners. By the end of their support period, fewer than half of survivors had been able to access safe accommodation.
Alarmingly, 24% of women supported were subjected to further abuse while waiting for temporary refuge accommodation, and 8.8% were forced to sleep rough in order to escape abuse — an increase on the previous year.
The report also highlights the damaging impact of recent policy changes, including the replacement of the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession with the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) in 2024. Confusion among refuge workers over whether survivors with the MVDAC can access the Domestic Abuse (DA) Rule has led to more refuges declining referrals.
Access to immigration advice remains a significant challenge. Despite the importance of obtaining advice before applying for the MVDAC, fewer than half (47.4%) of women were able to do so by the time their NWTA case was closed, due to a national shortage of legal aid solicitors.
Worryingly, non-regulated professionals illegally gave immigration advice to 29 survivors, with a quarter (24.1%) receiving inaccurate advice that could have serious implications on their immigration options.
In response, Women’s Aid is calling on the Home Office to urgently abolish the NRPF condition for all survivors, expand eligibility for the MVDAC and DA Rule, and fund comprehensive training for professionals. The organisation also calls on the Ministry of Justice to reinstate legal aid for all survivors and ensure adequate availability of legal aid solicitors nationwide.
Women’s Aid is urging policymakers, statutory services, and local authorities to act on the findings of the Nowhere to Turn report and commit to delivering safe, accessible, and specialist support for all survivors of domestic abuse.
Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said:
“Survivors of domestic abuse must not be left without safety or support simply because of their immigration status or a lack of available refuge spaces. The findings of this report show the devastating impact of systemic failures. Urgent action is needed to ensure every woman and child fleeing abuse can access the protection and support they need to rebuild their lives in safety.”
Full report can be found here.