New domestic violence propsals

This is bad, peeps.

The government is airing a proposal to be included in the new legislation about domestic violence.

The proposal is that if a victim of domestic violence is granted ILR on the basis that the relationship broke down BECAUSE of the violence, that they will pay a maximum of 20 days accommodation in arrears to the accommodation provider.

HUH?  In arrears?  To the accommodation provider?  What happens if they don't reach a decision in 20 days?  And did the gov't forget that under the new legislation there is to be NO ILR and no recourse whilst on probationary citizenship?  This proposal needs to be stopped.

Surely we can't be reducing the status of victims of domestic violence even lower than asylum seekers? 

The Southall Black Sisters are heading up an advocacy initiative, and I'll be meeting with them next week to help try and hammer out a counter proposal.  In the meantime, if anybody here would be affected by this new proposals (which I personally think is lunacy), they should let me know because I'll need some on-the-ground case studies.  If you are affected, or have been affected, pm me.

I know I've said it here before, and I'll just repeat it.  Liam Byrne is a smart guy.  And dangerous.  You have to watch him EVERY MINUTE.  This one came smack out of the blue.

Is this in order that they won't be accused of not being able to support themselves without recourse to public funds?  Or of taking third party support? This is disgusting! 

Vicky

Where do they dream these ideas up?   

All this will do is force battered wives (and I say wives as they are the majority), who often don't work, and often have children, to stay with abusers.  I am appalled.

Vicky

Uggh, this is horrible!!!

Even a day later, this is still bugging me.

Reminder: if you have been/are being affected by this, please pm me...

I went to the meeting last night, it was very well attended, close to SRO I think. 

They handed out some stuff obtained under FOI about the number of DV applications over the last 3 years, successful applications, fee-excused applications, and so on.

In the same FOI, the govt also admited to using 'internal guidance' that can't be released due to public well-being, which stunned me.  Not the part about the public well-being, but that they might be violating the law. 

Anyway, the advocacy side is going for the position that AT LEAST the victim's 1st night in a refuge ought to be exempt from the restriction on access to public funds.  Possibly the 1st and 2nd night's shelter.  So they are going to try to get the government to agree to that.  Christ, a bogus asylum seeker who sprints through the Eurotunnel gets better treatment.

Anyway, the Southall Black Sisters are leading on this one.  http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/

Strange name.  The ones who were there weren't black.  But it was all women except for me and a barrister from the Camden Law Centre.  If you get involved, please let me know or drop a note here!   

Southall Black Sisters have been around for a very long time and are a great campaigning group.  They were at the forefront of getting victims of FGM recognised as a 'social grouping' in order to enable them to get leave under the Human Rights Act (article 2) and are generally brilliant.

If anyone can fix this, they can.


Vicky