15 May 2026
In setting out their legislative agenda for the coming year yesterday, the government declared it would “champion the rights of women and girls to live in a world free from violence.” On the surface, this recognition of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is welcome. But rhetoric alone does not protect women. Worse, many of the policies, and political rhetoric, will actively harm Black and minoritised migrant women.
At a time when meaningful action is urgently needed, the government has once again failed to address the structural inequalities that make women vulnerable to violence in the first place. There are no concrete commitments to invest in specialist support services, no long-term funding guarantees for by and for organisations, and no serious recognition of the socio-economic and political realities facing Black and minoritised migrant women. Instead, several of the proposed bills appear either dangerously indifferent to these realities or intentionally punitive in nature.
Immigration
Particularly alarming are the proposals contained within the Immigration and Asylum Bill. Measures to make it easier to revoke refugee status, further restrict support for migrant and asylum-seeking survivors, and limit Article 8 applications will have devastating consequences for women already living in precarity.
For migrant women experiencing abuse, immigration status is often weaponised by perpetrators as a tool of control. Policies that deepen insecurity and threaten deportation create enormous barriers to reporting violence, seeking support, or leaving abusive situations safely. These proposals are harmful and dehumanising. They reinforce a hostile environment that leaves migrant and refugee women trapped between abuse and the fear of state violence.
Policing and justice
The proposed Police Reform Bill and wider national security measures are equally concerning. Expanding policing powers, increasing surveillance, and embedding greater use of AI and intelligence gathering cannot be separated from the realities of institutional racism, misogyny and discrimination within policing and state systems. These measures will deepen mistrust and disproportionately impact racialised communities, including migrant women whose vulnerabilities are already heightened by insecure immigration status.
We have already seen the damaging consequences of policies rooted in a national security framework. The legacy of Prevent, alongside repeated failures to tackle institutional violence and discrimination, demonstrates the dangers of treating social issues through the lens of surveillance and control rather than care, protection and justice.
We are also deeply concerned by proposals to scale back jury trials in England and Wales. Victim-survivors of VAWG already face enormous barriers within the legal system, from low conviction rates to retraumatising court processes and systemic bias. Weakening access to justice risks further undermining confidence in a system that many survivors already struggle to trust. Any government serious about tackling VAWG should be strengthening legal protections and improving access to justice, not eroding them.
Housing
The proposed Social Housing Renewal Bill includes measures intended to help victim-survivors remain in their homes after domestic abuse. For many Black and minoritised women living within close-knit communities, remaining in the family home after leaving an abusive relationship can actually increase risk and isolation. Specialist by and for organisations have long challenged one-size-fits-all approaches to safety.
Crucially, many migrant women are excluded from access to social housing altogether because of immigration restrictions and the denial of public funds. As a result, countless women remain at risk of homelessness, housing insecurity and ongoing abuse. Despite this, there is still no meaningful funding commitment to safely house migrant women experiencing violence.
Victim-survivors themselves are best placed to determine what safety looks like for them. Sustainable refuge funding, genuinely accessible housing options, and specialist support services remain essential.
What needs to happen instead
Black and minoritised migrant women have long been excluded from mainstream responses to VAWG. This exclusion is built into policies that fail to recognise how racism, misogyny, poverty, immigration status and housing insecurity intersect to shape and exacerbate experiences of violence.
Any serious commitment to ending VAWG must include:
- Long-term investment in specialist by and for services
- Safe and accessible housing for all survivors
- Equitable access to justice
- Protection of migrant women’s rights
- Policies developed through an intersectional lens
Without this, promises made to address VAWG will remain empty