Inquiry into the relationship between DFSV and suicidality
RACS’s submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affair’s inquiry into the relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide centres the experiences of people seeking asylum, particularly women and LGBTQIA+ people, based on our legal practice experience, with a focus on:
The identifiable at-risk group of refugees and people seeking asylum that are assisted by RACS;
The relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) victimisation and suicide, and the extent to which DFSV victimisation contributes to suicide risk amongst refugees and people seeking asylum;
How the immigration system can perpetuate victimisation and exacerbate mental health struggles that increase risks of suicidality amongst the refugee and asylum seeker population;
The intersectional harms refugees and people seeking asylum may be exposed to, owing to their interaction with multiple legal systems, and the potential for these systems to be manipulated or abused by DFSV perpetrators; and
How the lack of appropriately funded support services catered to the refugee and asylum-seeking population can exacerbate mental health struggles.
RACS submits that the experiences of people with lived experience must inform the Committee’s resulting report from this Inquiry, and a model of co-design and consultation with communities is critical in establishing policies and legislation to address this issue.
