This section presents documents that examine, describe, and recommend strategies for addressing barriers faced by immigrant survivors when accessing services. These barriers may include limited English proficiency, immigrant survivors’ and their children’s immigration status, and issues related to economic dependency on the perpetrator, among others. Another major barrier could be service providers who have limited resources and skills to appropriately respond to immigrant survivors' unique needs.
Immigration status has been found to have an impact on survivors' help seeking behavior. A study found that Latino immigrants were less likely than non-immigrants to seek help for domestic violence from formal agencies (6.9% vs. 14.7%) (Ingram, 2007).
“Our program doesn’t have culturally-specific shelters to provide a safe space for immigrant survivors. The local shelters we rely on are overcrowded and unable to accommodate the dietary, religious, and cultural customs of many immigrant women. These survivors feel overwhelmed and terrified in shelters.” – Advocate