Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Ethnic Minority and Migrant Victims of Violence Against Women and Girls

05 July 2023 · 6 other contributors · 10,077 words

Opened by Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill

Responding minister: Sarah Dines

Crime & Law EnforcementJustice & CourtsWomen & Equalities

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Kate Osamor raised concerns about ethnic minority and migrant victims of violence against women and girls in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The Centre for Women's Justice found that at least 57% of women in prison have experienced domestic abuse.
  • Black, Asian, minoritised and migrant women face additional disadvantages due to lack of cultural competence and racism within the criminal justice system.
  • The Government established a female offender minority ethnic working group and launched the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme with 1.4 million allocated since 2022-23, extended into March 2025.

Key requests to Government

The Government should amend the Victims and Prisoners Bill to introduce statutory defences for victims of domestic abuse who are accused of offending, increase investment in women's services, ensure access to cultural mediation and translation, implement a firewall to end data sharing between police and Home Office, publish disaggregated data on gender-based violence, and withdraw proposals in the Illegal Migration Bill that would limit rights of potential trafficking victims.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill

The backdrop to the debate is an epidemic of violence against women, with victims often being unjustly criminalised. The Centre for Women's Justice found that at least 57% of women in prison have experienced domestic abuse. A case study highlighted a woman charged with driving while disqualified who was coerced by her abuser and threatened if she did not drive on. Black, Asian, minoritised and migrant women face additional disadvantages due to lack of cultural competence and racism within the criminal justice system.

Other contributors (6)
  • Apsana Begum Lab Poplar and Limehouse

    The MP highlighted the impact of the cost of living crisis on women fleeing domestic abuse, citing a Women's Aid survey which found that 73% of survivors had been prevented or hindered from leaving their abusers due to financial constraints. She raised concerns about black and ethnic minority women being disproportionately affected by economic and financial abuse, leading to criminalisation. The MP called for greater support in the criminal justice system, including a firewall against data sharing between police and immigration enforcement, and additional safeguards for victims of domestic abuse accused of offences.

  • Chris Loder Con Bournemouth East

    Asked for clarification on how to balance victims' needs with protection from abuse, citing a case where a victim faced prosecution despite being assaulted and threatened. Called for better training of police and prosecutors.

  • Florence Eshalomi Lab Co-op Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

    Florence Eshalomi highlighted the issue of girls associated with gangs, noting that many are criminally and sexually exploited by gang members. She emphasized the need for a gendered approach to address sexual exploitation and criminalisation of young women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds who face debt bondage and sexual violence. She also raised concerns about the lack of faith these victims have in the criminal justice system due to underrepresentation in data and perceived criminalisation rather than victim support. Suggested that the police should undergo specialist training on recognising signs of domestic abuse in black and minority ethnic women, as these signs may not be visible due to skin type.

  • Jess Phillips Lab Birmingham Yardley

    Phillips highlighted that black women are 14% less likely to be referred by police to support services, despite being more likely to report abuse. She criticised the criminalisation of victims and the counterclaims leading to arrests of known domestic abuse victims, especially in family court cases involving Asian or black women. Phillips also mentioned the exploitation of girls in gangs and their subsequent criminalisation, noting that 63% of girls serving sentences have experienced rape or domestic abuse. She called for better data collection on these issues. Asked the Minister multiple times to give way, and highlighted that a fund for supporting women affected by domestic abuse ran out within three weeks of its launch.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Commends the hon. Lady for bringing forward the debate and highlights the high rate of women's murders in Northern Ireland, second only to Romania in Europe.

  • Nigel Huddleston Con Birmingham Hall Green

    Asked about specific measures the Government is taking to address issues highlighted, including data sharing firewall, cultural competence in criminal justice system, and support for women facing criminal proceedings. Highlighted the need for a joined-up approach across government departments.

Government Response

Sarah Dines

The Government take tackling violence against women and girls very seriously, focusing on the needs of victims and survivors. They are working to address disparities for ethnic minority and foreign national women in the criminal justice system by establishing a female offender minority ethnic working group (FOME) and launching initiatives like the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme with £1.4 million allocated since 2022-23, extended into March 2025. The Government also committed to investing up to £8.4 million in the violence against women and girls fund over two years, addressing specific needs of ethnic minority victims through specialist services. Training for police officers includes coverage of hate crimes, ethics, equalities, and policing without bias, with updates provided throughout their career. Data sharing protocols are under development to provide assurance that no immigration enforcement action will be taken during criminal justice proceedings or support applications. The Government is also committed to funding domestic abuse interventions in healthcare settings and improving support for children impacted by domestic abuse from ethnic minority backgrounds.

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