Healthcare for migrant survivors of domestic abuse

Domestic abuse is a key human rights issue. It severely impacts mental health, physical health and wellbeing. To recover, survivors needs support including access to free healthcare.

Northern Ireland’s Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls and the Domestic & Sexual Abuse Strategy commit to providing comprehensive support to victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

Today, Law Centre NI publishes our Safeguarding migrant survivors of domestic abuse through healthcare – Recommendations for reform in Northern Ireland report to highlight a gap in the support for survivors. Specifically, the report demonstrates that not all migrant survivors of domestic abuse can access free healthcare in Northern Ireland. Legislation was amended in Britain in 2022 to ensure compliance with Istanbul Convention but the amendments were not introduced in Northern Ireland.

We now call on the Department of Health to remedy this legislative gap in protection as a matter of urgency.  All survivors of domestic abuse need access to free healthcare.