A recent report from Amnesty International reveals that undocumented women in France face significant barriers when reporting sexual violence, often encountering hostility from the institutions meant to help them. French NGOs say law enforcement has increasingly threatened migrants with deportation, even going so far as putting them in detention centres when they try to press charges.
Amnesty International on Wednesday published a report highlighting the dire situation faced by migrant women who are victims of sexual violence in France.
The report, based on data from more than 20 civil organisations, sheds light on the “secondary victimisation” of these women, the institutional violence they suffer at the hands of police and judicial systems.
According to the National Observatory on Violence Against Women, a woman is raped every two minutes in France. Only 6% of rape or attempted rape victims filed reports in 2021, and a mere 0.6% of these cases led to convictions in 2020.
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For migrant women, the situation is even more dire. In 2023, The Lancet published a survey revealing that the risk of being raped was 18 times higher for migrants compared to other women in France. According to the study, one out of every two migrant women did not seek help after being assaulted, and only one in 10 reached out to police or medical services.
Secondary victimisation
Migrant women who report sexual violence frequently encounter what has become known as “secondary victimisation”. This term, recognised by international law, refers to the additional harm victims endure due to hostile treatment by law enforcement or judicial authorities.
“It’s a second trauma, distinct from the original offence, triggered by the way authorities respond to the victim's case,” explained Anna Glazewski, a jurist specialised in human rights and a lecturer at the University of Strasbourg.
“The term ‘secondary’ doesn't imply it's less significant, but rather that it adds to the victimisation caused by the initial assault.”
Instead of receiving the support they need, many victims are confronted with additional challenges such as language barriers, often with no interpreter available.
Worse still, many migrant women are unfairly suspected of “fabricating” their abuse claims to gain residency papers.
Margot Coudert, a jurist at an asylum centre in Lyon, witnessed women being turned away when trying to report sexual violence.
“There’s a residence permit available to women who file complaints against a network of pimps,” Coudert explained. “But when they went to the police, they were told they were only doing it to get a permit.”
She recounted an instance where she attempted to book an appointment with police for a Nigerian woman, only to be met with blunt dismissal.
“There’s no point,” an officer told her. “Nigerian women only do this to get residency papers.”
‘Beware of all those who are greedy’
Migrant women, particularly those of uncertain legal status, are among both the most vulnerable and the most hesitant to report sexual violence.
The Amnesty report alleges that undocumented women are "terrified" of approaching French police. In some cases, women who reported sexual violence were issued deportation orders or even placed in detention centres before being expelled from the country.
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“Since 2023, we’ve heard of 17 women being arrested after asking police for help,” said Violaine Husson, responsible for gender and protection issues at Cimade, a French NGO supporting asylum seekers.
“The police run identity checks; they put them in custody before placing them in a detention centre.”
Because of these practices, undocumented women “are increasingly scared to press charges”, according to the NGO.
Such actions violate both national and international laws, which guarantee the right of every individual, regardless of their legal status, to report sexual violence. But migrant women frequently encounter discriminatory attitudes rooted in racial and ethnic stereotypes.
“Beware of all those who are greedy, who came to France for economic reasons and who now come to tell us that Monsieur is violent,” Amnesty quoted one police officer as saying.
Calls for urgent reform
Amnesty International is calling on French authorities to enforce existing laws and implement reforms that align with international standards, ensuring migrant women have equal access to justice.
Among the key recommendations is the need for specialised training for law enforcement to address racial and gender-based biases.
“A lot of this stems from a lack of proper training and awareness,” said Glazewski, suggesting that NGOs could collaborate with law enforcement to help bridge this gap.
French NGOs are hopeful for change but remain focused on prevention efforts in the meantime. “There are measures in place, but they are not widely known or fully enforced,” said Husson, highlighting the option of reporting abuse in hospitals or women’s shelters.
"Better, more effective measures will not only support migrant women but also protect all women in France. Safe and secure reception facilities are essential for everyone."
