Domestic abusers are withholding passports and visas from migrant victims to make it impossible for them to flee, grim research has found.
Abusers are exploiting victim-survivors’ immigration status to trap them and ensure they are unable to access a bank account, according to a new report by charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA).
Victim-survivors without leave to remain are legally unable to open their own bank account, leaving them economically dependent on the abuser or facing extreme hardship. Research shows abusers target women during the process of applying for leave to remain by withholding documentation or purposely letting their visa lapse.
SEA said victim-survivors without a bank account have been left unable to buy food for themselves or their kids, or pay for the bus to escape the abuser. And any support the victim may get from financial services can end up in the bank account of the abuser.
Limited leave to remain is permission for someone to stay in the UK, often with a visa, while indefinite leave to remain is when permanent residency is granted and the person is eventually able to apply for British citizenship.
Up until 2014, anyone could access a bank account in the UK as long as they had proof of identity and address. But the introduction of the Immigration Act limited access for those without leave to remain, except if they face “legitimate barriers” which prevent them from leaving the UK.
SEA is calling on the Government to provide guidance to financial services telling them to legally recognise domestic abuse as a “legitimate barrier” to leaving the UK. This would allow migrant victim-survivors to open a basic independent bank account while awaiting the outcome of their application for leave to remain and remove this barrier to safety.
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According to SEA’s research, nearly one million UK women were trapped with an abusive partner because of economic abuse in the last year. Sam Smethers, chief executive of SEA, said having access to a bank account was a “necessity for survival” in a cashless society.
“Denying migrant victim-survivors access to an independent bank account traps them with abusers, making it impossible for them to flee,” she said. No one should be forced to stay with a dangerous abuser simply because of their immigration status.
“In an increasingly cashless society having access to a bank account isn’t just about financial independence, it’s a necessity for survival. Without a bank account, victim-survivors are often left unable to buy food for themselves and their children or pay for the bus to flee the abuser.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “Economic abuse can have a devastating impact on victims, the Home Office is providing funding to Surviving Economic Abuse to raise awareness and support victims. The factors leading to economic abuse, are deep-rooted and complex. We will use every lever available to us to tackle this crime as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.”
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