Decision-making
At the end of June 2023, over 175,000 people were waiting for an initial decision on their asylum claim – with nearly 80% of these people trapped in limbo and waiting to find out their fate for over six months.
We support women who have arrived in the UK seeking safety from war, persecution, gender-based violence and other torture.
Instead of being welcomed and supported, women are routinely disbelieved, forced to recount traumatic events, and left in limbo for months – or even years – on end for their asylum claim to be heard.
We should not shut the door on women in need.
Women seeking safety in the UK should have access to a fair and timely decision which recognises her specific experiences of persecution.
We are campaigning to:
Repeal the ‘Illegal’ Migration Act 2023
Urge the Government to repeal the ‘Illegal’ Migration Act 2023 so women seeking safety can claim asylum in the UK.
Dismantle the 'Culture of Disbelief'
Tackle and dismantle the ‘culture of disbelief’ that means women are often disbelieved and wrongly denied protection.
Get fair decisions
Push the Government to make timely and fair decisions.
“My name is Beatrice.
When I arrived in the UK after fleeing war, I was terrified and completely alone. I had seen so much. Felt so much fear. I was broken.
But, no matter how many times I told my truths as part of my application for refugee protection, no one in the UK believed me. For years, the questions kept coming. I was made to feel like I’d done something wrong. My nightmares got worse.
But then I discovered the charity Women for Refugee Women. Through their community of sisterhood and solidarity, I improved my English. I learned how to better advocate for myself. I made friends.
My application still hasn’t been approved, and the interrogations haven’t stopped. But at least I am no longer alone.”
