Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have in place to protect non-EU nationals resident in the UK who are victims of domestic abuse, and in particular to ensure access to homelessness support, refuge and benefits.

This Government is committed to tackling domestic abuse against all women, regardless of their background or nationality. On 16 July this Government introduced the Domestic Abuse Bill which aims to improve protection and support for all victims irrespective of their immigration status.

Non-British victims residing in the UK are able to apply for support from authorities, many of whom will have statutory obligations to support victims. For individuals in the UK who are married, or partners of, British or settled sponsors and who claim to be victims of abuse, there is the option of applying for immediate crisis support under the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC).

In addition, funding has been made available to support a range of support networks. In March £1,090,000 was made available specifically to be used to provide safe accommodation, and other support functions.

We are not complacent about our responses to domestic abuse. We strive to see what more can be done and we have committed to reviewing the support available to migrant victims of domestic abuse. The review will be launched over the summer and we aim to report progress of the review during the passage of the Bill.