News
Recognising coercive control in counter-allegations: VAWG organisations call for reform in UKVI assessments
Rights of Women and Project Resist brought together VAWG organisations to examine how UKVI’s handling of counter-allegations is impacting migrant women victim-survivors of domestic abuse applying for settlement. A briefing was produced outlining concerns and recommendations for change.
Earlier this year, the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector came together to discuss its concerns with the Home Office (UKVI) approach to assessing domestic abuse in immigration cases involving counter-allegations.
Counter-allegations in the context of domestic abuse including coercive control arise when both parties of the relationship allege the other has been abusive. Counter-allegations can be falsely made by perpetrators to deflect responsibility or further their abuse. They can also arise when victims engage in defensive or protective behaviours in response to their abuse.
Services responding to domestic abuse frequently deal with counter-allegations and, while some have guidance in place to inform their response to these challenging cases, there remains a real need to develop understanding of the nature of domestic abuse and coercive control, including how counter-allegations should be dealt with.
Coordinated by Rights of Women and Project Resist, VAWG sector organisations met to discuss how this issue was affecting migrant victims of domestic abuse applying to the Home Office (UKVI) for settlement. We produced a briefing addressing our concerns with how the Home Office (UKVI) currently deals with these issues, and made recommendations for change which you can read here:
VAWG sector briefing on counter-allegations 02.04.25
Rights of Women works to improve statutory responses to domestic abuse for all women, informed by the victim-survivors who engage in our services and the challenges they face achieving safety and justice.