Every police force in England and Wales has reported migrant domestic-abuse victims to Immigration Enforcement, according to new data. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Nicole Jacobs, warns that fear of deportation prevents victims from coming forward and empowers abusers.
In the three years to March 2023, police checked the immigration status of 537 complainants in domestic-abuse cases. No victim was detained or removed as a result. Jacobs argues that the practice serves no purpose but instils fear, creating a high cost to victim and public safety.
The commissioner highlights the case of a former Metropolitan Police officer and serial rapist, David Carrick, who told one victim he had reported her to immigration authorities. Another case involved a Latin American woman whose partner threatened her; after police contacted Immigration Enforcement in front of her, she withdrew from support services.
Jacobs has written to the home secretary, calling for a data-sharing firewall to stop police reporting victims to Immigration Enforcement. She also urges an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill. The National Police Chiefs' Council says officers do not routinely investigate victims' migration status, but guidance allows sharing basic information if a victim may not be legally residing in the UK.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe notes that referrals of 537 victims over three years equate to less than 0.5% of domestic abuse cases, but acknowledges that fear and exploitation of victims with uncertain immigration status is very real. A Home Office official defended current data-sharing as essential to remove the perpetrator's control over victims.
