Migration crackdown raises fears for domestic violence victims

Experts warn the federal government's new migration crackdown could give domestic abusers another tool to control their victims, with many women unaware they are overstaying their visas.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced changes to the migration system this week after a six-week delay. The package includes a tougher stance on visa overstayers, with the threat of detention facilities to increase deterrence.

But Professor Marie Segrave, a criminologist at the University of Melbourne, says the changes lack a safety net for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence.

What is the link between migration policy and domestic violence?

Research has documented a clear connection between temporary migration and domestic and family violence. The largest national study of migrant and refugee women found one in three had experienced domestic and family violence, with temporary migrants more likely to experience violence linked to their visa status.

Current migration policy provides some protection through the family violence provisions for women on partner visas with a pathway to permanency. However, many women in abusive relationships do not hold partner visas. This includes women who arrive on student visas and form relationships with abusers, women seeking asylum who fear reporting violence could jeopardise their family's protection visa, and women brought to Australia on visitor visas after being promised partner visas that never materialise.

In some cases, perpetrators lie about visa status entirely. Women are tricked into believing they hold partner visas when they have actually entered the country on visitor visas.

How could the crackdown affect victim-survivors?

Segrave highlights a key concern: many women overstay their visas without knowing it. The national study found only 22 per cent of temporary visa holders who had experienced migration-related controlling behaviours were confident in their knowledge of their visa and their rights.

Perpetrators often deny women access to information, including correspondence from the Department of Home Affairs. Service providers regularly encounter victim-survivors who do not know what visa they hold or that their visa has expired.

The new crackdown, Segrave argues, gives perpetrators another way to weaponise the system by threatening to report women to authorities for deportation. This behaviour already occurs at high rates, and the new policy hands more control to abusers.

What needs to change?

Segrave warns the changes risk pushing more women into silence and forcing them to remain in violent situations. She is calling on the Albanese government to recognise that victim-survivors could become collateral damage under the new policy.

Urgent measures are needed to review how the migration system impacts victims of domestic and family violence, and the government should provide a clear visa solution for those affected.

Next week, the national advocacy group for women on temporary visas experiencing domestic and family violence will launch its third Blueprint for Reform. The document outlines ways to adjust migration settings to ensure all women experiencing violence have access to safety in Australia.

Segrave said the announcement signals the urgency of reform that accounts for what is already known about domestic and family violence and the migration system.

Where to get help

If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

The Men's Referral Service, operated by No to Violence, can be contacted on 1300 766 491.