‘They see us as an easy target’: discrimination and hate crime against Eastern European women living in the UK

Abstract

Anti-immigration sentiment, discrimination and hate crime, against Eastern Europeans in the UK, has increased in recent years. Prior to Brexit, European Union (EU) citizens were afforded free movement, including rights to live and work in the UK, but in 2020, those without residency status, were subject to strict immigration laws and restrictions on living and working in the UK. Research shows that punitive immigration policies have a disproportionate impact on migrant women, increasing their risk of discrimination, exploitation, and gender-based violence. However, while in 2022 the UK government ratified the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, a treaty otherwise known as the ‘Istanbul Convention’, they opted out of Article 59, which specifically protects migrant women. Existing research into discrimination, exploitation, and gender-based violence against migrant women, in the UK, largely focuses on Black and minority ethnic (BME) women. This article reports on findings from a mixed-methods, descriptive study, on the specific experiences of Eastern European women, living in the UK. Findings explore the intersecting gendered and racial discrimination against Eastern European women, in the UK, providing a descriptive account of the distinct forms of gender-based discrimination and violence which they face.