BLACK, MINORITY ETHNIC AND REFUGEE WOMEN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Early day motion 693, tabled 14 January 2008 by Linda Riordan (Labour). Signed by 113 members.

That this House notes that the Government has brought forward new legislation on domestic violence; draws attention to the acute under-funding of black, minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) women's services; further notes that research conducted by BMER women's organisations such as IMKAAN reveals that many BMER services are facing closure, takeover by mainstream organisations and reductions in funding, thereby dangerously reducing BMER women's access to places of safety; considers that women suffering from abuse and violence, who do not have settled immigration status in the UK, are prevented from seeking protection due to the no recourse to public funds requirement; believes that securing alternative safe housing, benefits and specialist services are often prerequisites to leaving an abusive relationship; calls upon the Government to acknowledge the value of small-sized grassroots specialist BMER women's projects and sustain investment in them; urges the Government to meet the demands made by IMKAAN and its network of over 40 BMER refuges across the UK, Saheli Ltd., Southall Black Sisters, Newham Asian Women's Project, Asian Women's Resource Centre and African Women's Care to abolish the no recourse to public funds requirement for all women with insecure status who are subject to violence and abuse in the contexts of marriage, domestic work and trafficking; and further calls upon the Government to set up a national cross-governmental violence against women strategy and, within that, a strategy around the needs of BMER women and children.

Signatures by party: Labour 60, Liberal Democrat 40, Independent 3, Scottish National Party 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Conservative 1, DUP 1, Independent Labour 1.