The collaboration, campaigning and strategic litigation brought by a coalition of actors supporting victims of domestic violence, led to the landmark ruling of AM v SSHD [2022] EWHC 2591 (Admin), which found that the previous Immigration Rules relating to victims of domestic violence were unlawful as they discriminated against victims outside of the UK.
Following this High Court decision, as part of recent changes to the Immigration Rules, the Home Office introduced Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (‘Appendix VDA’) and updated the associated guidance, which came into effect on 31 January 2024. This new appendix enables victims of domestic abuse who have been abandoned overseas to apply for settlement from outside the UK.