Victim Support
Doras provides specialised support to migrant and refugee victims of human trafficking, domestic abuse, racism, and hate crime. Our work advocates for improved services in line with the EU Victims Directive, ensuring respectful, sensitive, and non-discriminatory treatment for victims.
Doras has been providing specialised support to migrant and refugee victims of human trafficking, domestic abuse, racism and hate crime since 2011. Our work in this area directly informs our advocacy around the need to improve support services for migrant victims of crime.
People from a migrant background face significant barriers to accessing the criminal justice system in Ireland including language and cultural barriers; fear of police and deportation; lack of trust in authorities; lack of information about the legal system and victim’s rights in Ireland.
Our work aims to meet the special protection needs of migrant and refugee victims of crime in line with Ireland’s responsibilities under the European Union (EU) Victims Directive. This establishes minimum standards on the rights, supports and protection of victims of crime, and aims to ensure that victims of crime receive appropriate information, support and protection and can participate in criminal proceedings. It requires that Ireland, like other countries in the EU, shall ensure that victims are recognised and treated in a respectful, sensitive, tailored, professional and non-discriminatory manner. This should apply, in all contacts with victim support, restorative justice services or a competent authority, operating within the context of criminal proceedings.
The rights set out in the Directive directly inform the Doras Migrant Victim Support Service and we continue to advocate for improved service provision across Ireland in-line with the obligations outlined in this Directive.
Doras is a member of the Victim’s Forum, chaired by the Department of Justice, through which we work collaboratively to influence and positively change policy and practice in this area.
