AQW 4358/22-27
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast
Tabled Date: 10/10/2022
Answered On Date: 17/10/2022
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health what support is available for women arriving in Northern Ireland seeking asylum who have experienced domestic violence and sexual abuse in their country of origin and/or on their journey to our country.
Answer:
Issues around immigration, including support for asylum seekers, are excepted matters here. Access to healthcare in Northern Ireland is provided under the Health and Personal Social Services Provision of Health Services to Persons Not Ordinarily Resident Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (“the Regulations”). The Regulations provide that all asylum seekers are entitled to access publicly funded healthcare in Northern Ireland. Health and Social Care Trusts provide an adult protection response to adults who are subject to domestic and sexual abuse (including asylum seekers) who are unable to protect themselves without intervention and who are resident in the Trust area. This includes referrals to PSNI and to Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences for high-risk cases. Children’s Gateway services will also be involved if there are children present. Local Domestic and Sexual Violence Partnerships work in partnership with agencies regarding prevention, early intervention and support for victims and children who have experienced domestic and sexual violence, including Women’s Aid, Nexus, the Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre and Rape Crisis Centre. Partnerships promote access to all services for those residing in their area regardless of race, religion or ethnic background and services are also available for those hard to reach or minority groups. In the Belfast HSC Trust, the Specialist Health Visitor in the NI New Entrants Service (NINES) offers Routine Enquiry regarding domestic violence (whenever it is safe/possible to do so), as part of all family health assessments with pregnant women, postnatal women and movement in families. All asylum seeker families are offered Health Visiting Services. In addition, NINES staff will enquire about service users’ safety and FGM, as this would be relevant to many service users on the caseload. Support is also considered from Sure Start, Family Support Hub and the Education Authority and, if there was an issue with trafficking, Flourish NI and Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid. Asylum seekers can represent some of the most vulnerable people in our society and it is important that those who are affected by domestic abuse reach out to seek help from support services. The regional Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline is also available to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The Helpline is a confidential, Freephone service, funded jointly by my Department, the Department of Justice and the Department for Communities. Fully trained Helpline staff are there to listen and offer emotional support 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
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