SCOTTISH and Welsh ministers have made a joint call for the UK to extend safeguards against gender-based violence to migrant women.
The move came after the Home Office announced partial ratification of the Istanbul Convention, a landmark European treaty on protecting women from violence.
The convention obliges signatories to take steps to tackle violence against women and girls, but Article 59, which protects migrant women, has not been included by the UK Government.
READ MORE: Ofcom finds BBC in breach of impartiality guidelines in interview
Scotland’s equalities minister Christina McKelvie and Welsh social justice minister Jane Hutt have written a joint letter to the UK’s safeguarding minister, Amanda Solloway, urging her to “do the right thing by migrant women” by ratifying Article 59.
McKelvie and Hutt wrote: “We’d like to take this opportunity to re-state the Scottish and Welsh governments’ disappointment with this decision and to urge you again to do the right thing by migrant women and ensure that they are offered the same protection as other women in this country.
“A key element of the Istanbul Convention is the obligation it places on states to implement its provisions without discrimination on any grounds and we urge you to take this obligation seriously.”
The ministers also questioned the need to keep Article 59 under review while awaiting the results and evaluation of the Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) scheme.
They said: “As the pilot is testing the question of how, not whether, migrant victims and survivors are supported, we are not clear why this would lead you to submit a reservation to Article 59.
“The pilot would appear to be more about operational practice which, while clearly important, does appear secondary to the principle behind Article 59.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak vows to 'drive down support for Scottish independence'
“It is on these grounds that we ask you to withdraw the exemption immediately.”
McKelvie and Hutt suggested that should the decision not be reversed, a “window of opportunity” should be made available in which a policy agreement “that works for all nations” can be arranged.
They added: “We recognise that ratification itself is a prerogative power exercised by UK ministers.
“Nonetheless, this treaty gives rise to obligations in devolved areas and we would wish to discuss with you how this can be reconciled.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here