WOMEN from EU countries in abusive relationships could be at greater risk due to Brexit, says Women's Aid.

The support service warns that the EU Settlement Scheme threatens to put women at risk because the application process requires them to prove their identity and residency, and their abusers may destroy or withhold the evidence they need to do so.

Settled status is only granted to EU citizens who have lived in the UK continuously for five years. .

A spokesman for West Mercia Women’s Aid said:”In West Mercia over the past 12 months we have worked with women who are European nationals, who came to refuge but were then forced to return to their country of origin because they did not have ‘settled status.’

“The West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner is extremely supportive of women fleeing domestic abuse who have no immediate access to public funds, and allocates a pot of money that they can access in order to be able to stay in refuge for a short period whilst attempting to sort out their status in this country. Whilst this makes it possible for women in these circumstances to stay in refuge in the short term, under the current rules and after the six month period, if they are not given ‘settled status’ they are automatically turned away as local public services do not owe them a duty. It is our experience that achieving ‘settled status’ is far from straightforward and that women find the system both confusing and daunting.

“Misinformation about status and rights is a common means of control used by abusive partners. Many women will have been told by their abusive partner that they will be deported – or worse – if they present as fleeing abuse, and often they will have been prevented from having contact with public services and so have little personal experience by which to contradict these ‘scare tactics’.

"There is no doubt that women living in the UK who are EEA nationals and experiencing domestic abuse, will feel particularly vulnerable as a consequence of Britain leaving the EU.”

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