Yesterday the Home Office has confirmed it will not put in place a firewall for migrant victims or suspend data sharing between the police and the Home Office on victims with insecure immigration status: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-data-sharing-migrant-victims-and-witnesses-of-crime/review-of-data-sharing-migrant-victims-and-witnesses-of-crime-accessible-version
“It is incredibly disappointing to see the Home Office reject a safe reporting firewall for victims of violence against women and girls with insecure immigration status. This will put off victims from coming forwards out of fear of deportation, further reduce trust in the police and puts the lives of victims at serious risk.
“Solace has consistently supported the recommendation of the independent police inspectorate to immediately stop sharing information on domestic abuse victims with immigration enforcement, and the excellent work of Liberty and Southall Black Sisters in bringing the first super-complaint against the National Police Chiefs Council and the Home Office on the sharing of victim and witness data between the police and Home Office. Ahead of the London mayoral election earlier this year, we called on the Mayor of London to suspend the data sharing agreement between the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office and continue to push for this vital change at a London level.
“This confirmation of the Home Office’s position to prioritise immigration enforcement over keeping victims of domestic abuse safe will only embolden perpetrators who often use women’s insecure immigration status as a tool for abuse and control.”