Harmful Changes to Support Provisions for Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse:
Southall Black Sisters (SBS) are gravely concerned about the changes to the Migrant Victims Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) – formerly called the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC) – currently due on 12 Feb 2024.
The MVDAC will grant partners of worker and student visa holders with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) the right to receive benefits and Council housing under homelessness legislation, and grant them limited leave in the UK for a period of three months.
The MVDAC extends the current provisions available to those on spousal/partner visas. However, unlike the spousal/partner group, who are currently entitled, this new cohort will not be eligible for settlement under the Domestic Violence Indefinite Leave to Remain (DVILR).
SBS do not support this so-called ‘extension’, as it creates a cliff edge at the end of three months for those who are unable to pursue any settlement route. They would normally be expected to leave the country. This would prevent many victims from coming forward for fear of deportation, and thus render the extension ineffective.
There is already a dearth of awareness about the DDVC, and we are extremely concerned that creating a separate route which is a watered-down version of the DDVC-DVILR model will create confusion for victim-survivors and professionals, putting victim-survivors at risk of not making informed decisions about their rights. This risk is further exacerbated by the near-total annihilation of legal aid and the lack of specialist services caused by underfunding and austerity.