A coalition of organisations and experts working with these vulnerable groups have sent letters to the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Green, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru parties, to raise concerns about the impact the Illegal Migration Bill will have on victims of SGBV seeking refuge in the UK and calling for parties to commit to protecting survivors in their manifestos.
Under the new law, for example, migrant survivors would be excluded from the National Referral Mechanism and the asylum system.
In the letter, experts call on the parties to rethink the Illegal Migration Bill, which is receiving its third reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday 26th April, saying that - in its current form, the Bill would drive migrant victims of SGBV into the hands of traffickers and criminal gangs where they are likely to be exploited and put in further danger.
The signatories include representatives from the University of Birmingham, JustRight Scotland, Freedom from Torture, British Red Cross, Doctors of the World, Women’s Aid, Southall Black Sisters, and other organisations working to fight violence against women and girls.