Numbers on the rise
In the United Kingdom, the government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy recognises domestic abuse as a criminal offence that causes lasting harm to women and is rooted in wider social and institutional inequalities.
A Home Office report called “Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls” (2023) found that 20% of all police-recorded crime in 2022–23 was related to VAWG. By March 2024, an estimated 2.3 million adults in England and Wales had experienced domestic abuse, including 1.6 million women and 712,000 men. This demonstrate the vast size of this issue.
In the West Midlands, where the Refugee and Migrant Centre (RMC) have its offices, police attended 86,344 domestic incidents in 2023 (an increase of 7.4% from the previous year).
This issue for migrant women
The No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition, applied to many UK visas, places refugee and migrant women who join their partners at greater risk of harm. It increases their financial and legal dependence, making it harder to leave abusive relationships or seek help. Additionally, some survivors live under more precarious immigration conditions beyond NRPF, which can make their situations far more complex. Safe lives report that, on average, survivors live with abuse for three years before seeking help, showing that many endure long periods of suffering before receiving support.
This extended exposure to abuse can worsen both mental and physical health outcomes, not only for the survivor but also for children in the household. Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and physical injuries may go untreated. Additionally, witnessing or being exposed to abuse has a lasting emotional and psychological impact on children. Research shows that people with a mental health problem are more likely to have a preventable physical health conditions. This demonstrates the significant health impact of violence against women and girls, particularly migrant women.
To reduce the long-term health impacts of VAWG, services must adopt trauma-informed, culturally sensitive approaches. Abuse can leave lasting emotional and physical scars, affecting how survivors and their children think, feel, and behave. Early intervention is essential to break the cycle and support sustained recovery.
RMC’s Approach
RMC considers the wellbeing impact of domestic abuse when supporting vulnerable survivors across its offices. We communicate with compassion and provide safe spaces for individuals to seek support. Our aim is to offer a wide range of services under one roof, streamlining the beneficiary journey and reducing the need to repeatedly retell traumatic experiences.
For migrant survivors with NRPF, the Home Office offers support through the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC). This allows eligible victims to access public funds for up to 12 weeks, a critical window to stabilise housing, access healthcare, and regularise immigration status independently from the perpetrator. RMC’s regulated immigration advisors triage survivors to assess eligibility, support WITH applications, or advise on alternative options. We then provide immigration casework through the entire application process.
Further support includes facilitating access to emergency housing. If beneficiaries have funding or a successful MVDAC application, RMC caseworkers assist with urgent funding applications and mainstream temporary accommodation. Survivors often need to re-register with healthcare services and children’s schools after leaving the abuser’s address, tasks RMC staff can support with.
RMC’s health advisors play a key role in facilitating access to health services, ensuring continuity of care after relocation, and identifying any presenting poor mental health through Mental Health First Aid training. In Wolverhampton, our in-house CPN regularly supports domestic abuse survivors with tailored care. Additionally, in Birmingham, our Women’s Group conducts awareness-raising and preventive work around VAWG to increase knowledge of risks and available support.
RMC also recognises the great work of our partners. We are grateful for strong partnerships across the West Midlands, which enable us to facilitate support beyond our internal capacity. In Birmingham, RMC is part of Birmingham No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) Women’s Support Network funded by the Smallwood Trust. Led by Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid and in partnership with British Red Cross, Central England Law Centre and Roshni, we are working together to provide streamlined and holistic support to women victims of domestic abuse with NRPF while at the same time use our knowledge and expertise to influence systems change towards a more humane system for all survivors.
Impact: April 2024 to March 2025
During this period, RMC supported 384 victims of domestic abuse, providing a continuum of care that included:
- Immigration Advice
- Emergency accommodation and financial assistance to prevent destitution
- Access to counselling and mental health services
- Support in setting up bank accounts and rebuilding independence
- Assistance accessing core health services
- In-house English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes and employment assistance are designed to upskill job-ready survivors, equipping them with the tools to take steps toward entering the labour market when legally permitted.
262 survivors were supported to access to essential funding through the MVDAC
233 people were supported to apply for indefinite leave to remain as survivors
44 enquiries for maternity related assistance including Healthy Start Voucher applications, ensuring children have access to nourishing food
6 survivors referred for specialised mental health support
By addressing the intersecting challenges of migration, safety, and stability, RMC adopts a survivor-centred approach that fosters trust, empathy, and tailored support to meet complex needs. Our work ensures access to safe spaces where survivors are heard, and empowered. We lay the foundation for long-term integration and independence while reducing the need for future interventions. This holistic support positively influences the health and wellbeing of our beneficiaries by tackling wider determinants of health and improving knowledge and access to essential services.
Found this helpful? There’s plenty more to discover.
Need help? Check out all our support options
Want more stories and articles? Explore our latest topics
Want to learn more? We have lots of resources to build your knowledge
Ready to take action? Make a difference in a way that suits you
