Monique Dam Advocacy and Prevention Manager advocacy@dvnsw.org.au Women on Temporary Visas who are experiencing Domestic and Family Violence Monique Dam Advocacy and Prevention Manager advocacy@dvnsw.org.au

Issues for women on temporary visas experiencing violence and their children Income (Centrelink and right to work) Housing (Temporary, crisis, social and community housing) Healthcare (Medicare and pharmaceuticals) Legal support (Migration and family law) Education and childcare

Barriers for women on temporary visas experiencing violence Limited knowledge of their rights Lack of social networks Access to culturally safe services Access to interpreting services Fear and distrust of police and government

Department of Social Services 2015 ‘Kitchen Table Conversations’ Report “The fear of losing the right to remain in Australia, whether real or perceived, was a significant factor in a woman’s decision-making… Perpetrators of domestic and family violence use the threat of losing the right to remain in Australia as a means of controlling women, and motivating them to stay in violent relationships. For some CALD women, returning to their countries of origin carries the threat of strong disapproval and even violence from their families and communities. Others fear having to leave Australia will result in losing custody of their children.” – page 25

What kinds of temporary visas are women on temporary visas on? Partner visas Working visas Student visas Tourist visas Carer visas

How can we achieve justice? The NSW government can: Increase funding to homelessness and domestic and family violence services to provide accommodation, social and material support to women on temporary visas and their children. Change housing eligibility policies to allow women on temporary visas experiencing violence and their children to apply for social, community and affordable housing. The Commonwealth government can: Expand the family violence provision under the Migration Act so that it is available to all women on temporary visas experiencing violence and not only those on partner visas. Ensure timely visa processing and timely access to Centrelink, Medicare and appropriate legal support for women on temporary visas who are experiencing domestic and family violence.

Positive change Western Australia Women’s Council WA coordinated collection of data and advocated to the WA Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence. WA Department of Communities is providing $10 000 for 12 months and Lottery West is providing $10 000 to assist women’s refuges to support women on temporary visas. Victoria Community services made submissions to the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence. The Royal Commission made three recommendations related to this issue. Victorian government is providing funding for 12 months to women’s refuges to support women on temporary visas.

The situation in NSW In 2017, the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team made several recommendations (20.1-20.5) including that the Commonwealth government: Consider expanding the Family Violence Provisions applicable to spousal visas to different classes of visas Work with state governments and other stakeholders to fund medical care, housing and financial and other supports for people on temporary visas who are experiencing domestic and family violence On 20 December 2017, Minister Goward wrote to the Minister for Home Affairs regarding these recommendations.

Opportunities to achieve justice together Contribute to the collection of data in NSW and nationally in August 2018 to support our joint advocacy Speak out at the Department of Social Services’ consultations for the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (2010-2022) Join the NSW Community of Practice, NSW Advocacy Group or National Advocacy Group via advocacy@dvnsw.org.au

For more information Dr Marie Segrave (2017), Temporary migration and family violence: An analysis of victimisation, vulnerability and support, Monash University in collaboration with InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence Dr Cathy Vaughan and team (2016), Promoting community-led response to violence against immigrant and refugee women in metropolitan and regional Australia. The ASPIRE Project, University of Melbourne, funded by ANROWS Department of Social Services (2015), ‘Hearing her voice: Report from the kitchen table conversations with culturally and linguistically diverse women on violence against women and their children’, Commonwealth of Australia