If they are subject to immigration controls, women who experience domestic abuse in the United Kingdom face particular barriers in finding safety and support. This research explores the impact of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) rule, which means that women who are subject to immigration controls on a variety of visa statuses cannot access benefits and cannot therefore access refuge accommodation or support. The thesis critically evaluates these impact within a human rights framework to consider whether law and practice falls short of international obligations the UK government has undertaken. It argues that women who experience domestic violence face even greater risks and more human rights abuses if they have NRPF. It concludes that the state should change law and practice to uphold the right to life and the prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment. The research draws from desk-based investigation and 51 interviews in cities across the UK with service providers in contact with women experiencing domestic abuse. The data suggests that the law is implemented inconsistently; even women and children who may be eligible for support are not reaching it. Women who are turned away from support return to abusers or face increasing vulnerability, exploitation and danger. These experiences include different forms of violence against women and girls, including forced marriage, domestic and sexual violence, systematic sexual exploitation in the commercial sex trades, trafficking, harassment, stalking, and homicide. These women may experience violence in the family, in the community, when they interact with agents of the state, and when they cross borders. These forms of violence are underpinned by the use of immigration status to maintain
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:674971 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Dudley, Rebecca Gail |
| Publisher | Queen's University Belfast |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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