After a 10-year delay the UK ratified the Istanbul Convention that aims to prevent violence against women and children, with a reservation on its 59th article. Article 59 requires the UK to make sure that victims of violence against women and girls are afforded protection regardless of their immigration status.
The UK had not ratified the Istanbul Convention, which it signed in 2012, aimed at preventing violence against women and children, until last week. In the UK, calls for the completion of the agreement’s ratification process have increased recently. The government said that some of the provisions of the contract were not transposed into domestic law and that the contract would be ratified after the completion of this process.
It had been declared that its compliance with the Istanbul Convention has not yet been completed in three areas:
- Criminalization of psychological violence (only valid for Northern Ireland)
- Jurisdiction for crimes committed outside the country
- The inclusion of victims of refugee and migrant status within the scope of support
Women’s organizations react
After a long period, the British government ratified the Istanbul Convention by making reservations to Articles 44 and 59. Under the title of “Judicial Power”, it is necessary to take the necessary legislative or other measures to ensure that the jurisdictions are not subject to the punishment of violent acts in the territory where they are committed, and under the title of “Migration and asylum”, the migrant victim of violence whose residence conditions depend on their spouse or partner.
Women’s organizations, which have been struggling for 10 years for the convention to enter into force, are not satisfied with this situation. In June more than 80 women’s organizations signed a letter addressed to Interior Minister Priti Patel. According to women’s organizations, making a reservation on Article 59 means that the life support of migrant women has been taken away, and this will have very serious consequences. Women are also stated to be excluding migrant women from protection in this way, which is against the essence of the Istanbul Convention, which is based on equality and against discrimination.