Immigrant Council running free online immigration clinic for migrant women in the West of Ireland
The Immigrant Council is holding a free immigration clinic online for migrant women based in the West of Ireland on Wednesday, 26 January 2022 to help address the gap in services available for victims of gender-based violence who may be at risk of further abuse due to their immigration status.
The Council hopes that by providing free, confidential legal information, migrant women in abusive situations will better understand their immigration rights and seek independent resident status for themselves and their children.
Gender-based violence often intersects with immigration status in form of domestic violence. Victims require special support and protection because of the high risk of secondary and repeat victimisation and exploitation.
This issue has been compounded in the Covid-19 era where lockdowns have increased the need for but limited access to supports for victims of domestic violence.
The Immigrant Council aims to address these issues by providing direct support for migrant women and children in the West of Ireland through free legal representation and support and by helping to build the capacities of service providers and legal professionals to address victims’ needs.
Commenting on the free service, Immigrant Council of Ireland Legal Information Officer and Caseworker Jess Bolton said:
“From our work at the Council, we know that migrant women are at increased risk of gender-based violence, because of their immigration status and that there are significant barriers to these victims accessing available supports. These barriers include language issues, public service providers lacking appropriate training, and an overall lack of general awareness for both migrants and service providers on what legal and immigration rights victims possess.
“Undocumented women fear deportation and are afraid to report domestic or gender-based violence or seek safety away from their abusive environment. Asylum-seeking women are reluctant to seek support out of fear that it may negatively impact their international protection applications. Women on spousal dependent visas also face difficulties. Although they can seek independent status if experiencing domestic violence, the level of knowledge about the legal framework is low. On many occasions women are given misleading information on purpose by the abuser as a way of control. No one should feel forced to stay in an abusive environment because they fear for their immigration status.”
The free, confidential immigration clinic will take place via Zoom in the form of 20 minute appointments with interpretation available for certain languages. Interested individuals can book an appointment by ringing 01 645 8054 or emailing support@immigrantcouncil.ie.
This service is made possible thanks to funding from the Lifes2good Foundation.
