Archive: Bridging the Borders

Bridging the Borders was a 12-month project funded by Dept for Communities and Local Government working across Bromley, Croydon and Bexley. It ended in July 2018 and provided resettlement support to women in refuge, as well as specialist support to women with no recourse to public funds and EEA nationals.

We are currently working on a end-of-project report to share the findings of this 1-year project.

Bridging the Borders provided:

• Specialist support for women who have experienced domestic violence who are European Economic Area Nationals (EEA) or have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
• Resettlement support to women from when they enter refuge and up to 6 months after they move out of the refuge into independent living.

The project aimed to:

• Maximise the availability of spaces and continuity in support through resettlement services
• Increase turnover within the refuge spaces to support more women in need
• Reduce barriers in access to domestic abuse services for women with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) andEuropean Economic Area (EEA) migrant women
• Provide bespoke support for women with NRPF and EEA migrant women
• Strengthen cross-borough work to enhance support to victims of domestic abuse
• Offer an innovative partnership modelof local authorities & voluntary sector organisations to enhance peer support & shared knowledge

Having no recourse to public funds is often a barrier for being able to leave an abusive relationship. Insecure immigration status is often used by abusers to prevent their partner from being able to seek help. We believe that no woman should be turned away from accessing services and safety. Understanding immigration rights is often very complicated. We aim to help guide women through the system in partnership with specialist immigration solicitors, housing officers and benefit advisors.