QADAMLONDON

If you are in danger right now

999Can't talk — call and press 55
0808 2000 247Domestic abuse helpline, 24/7, interpreters available
116 123Samaritans, if things are hard and there is no one to talk to

If you're in danger right now

Safety first, everything else after. Status, money and paperwork can wait until morning.

999 — if you're in danger right now. If you can't speak: call 999, listen to the operator and press 55. The call will be put through to the police as an emergency. This feature is described for mobile phones.

Where to go tonight

Refuge — a safe house at a confidential address. You can get in through the national helpline 0808 2000 247 (24 hours, interpreters available), through the police, through the council's housing department or through social services.

A place in a refuge is paid for through Housing Benefit — and that is public funds. That's why a woman with NRPF is most often refused a place. This is acknowledged in official guidance, and it's better to know it in advance than to find out at the door.

What exists specifically for migrant women

  • Support for Migrant Victims scheme (Southall Black Sisters, funded by the Home Office): safe accommodation for up to 12 weeks, a weekly allowance, IDVA support, referral to lawyers. The application is made by an organisation, the council or a public body — not by the woman herself. The practical route: call 0808 2000 247 or SBS on 020 8571 0800 and ask for a referral.
  • No Woman Turned Away (Women's Aid) — for those turned away from a refuge, including women with NRPF. Also accessed through a specialist service.
  • Flexible Fund (Women's Aid) — up to £500 for an urgent escape, up to £2,500 for rebuilding. Through a service, not directly.

The council and homelessness

Since 5 July 2021, survivors of domestic abuse have automatic priority need when they approach the council as homeless — there's no need to prove "vulnerability" on top. But the council checks immigration eligibility first: a person with NRPF never gets as far as priority need; someone with MVDAC does. More on the money page.

What to take with you, if you have time

  • Passport, BRP or eVisa, the children's documents, marriage and birth certificates — yours and the children's.
  • Bank card, phone and charger, medication.
  • Anything that proves the abuse: photos, messages, doctor's notes, police reference numbers. You may need this for legal aid and for an MVDAC application.
  • If he has your documents — leave without them. Copies and certificates can be replaced; time can't.

An employer or a partner has no right to hold your passport. That's a sign of coercion, not just strict rules.