WOMEN and child migrants are facing heightened threats of sexual and gender-based violence as they seek refuge from war and persecution in other countries, a study revealed today.

Men and sexual minorities are also at risk, but women and girls are most vulnerable to sexual and other assaults and face the greatest danger of modern slavery, the Sereda project found.

Its report said that there were insufficient systems in place to protect them from exploitation as they journey along forced migration routes.

Based on over 300 interviews with survivors and practitioners, the Sereda project was led by the University of Birmingham working with the University of Melbourne, Bilkent University and Uppsala University.

The project examines the nature and extent of sexual and gender-based violence experienced by forced migrants throughout their journey to Britain, Australia, Sweden, Turkey and Tunisia between 2018 and 2021.

It found that victims did not report attacks because they believed their status was illegal and many were frightened of males in authority.

University of Birmingham professor of migration and super diversity Jenny Phillimore said: “Over 82 million people were forcibly displaced in 2020 – half of them women and girls who may have faced violence at any stage of their journey, with safety by no means certain when they reached their country of refuge.

“Our study’s participants endured violence at different stages of their journeys - whether partner violence in their homes, rape and torture in conflict zones, performing ‘transactional’ sex to finance their flight or suffering post-traumatic stress disorder from experiences in asylum interviews, detention and shared housing.

“The war in Ukraine has resulted in high levels of forced migration.

“With women and children making increasingly difficult journeys to seek safety, it is critical we learn from mistakes of the past and put in place mechanisms to protect forced migrants from sexual and gender-based violence.”

Researchers also found women on spousal visas in Britain, Sweden and Australia reported being trapped in abusive relationships.

Some partners exploited women for financial gain, threatening to end their relationship and have them deported if they did not comply.

The report’s authors make several recommendations to humanitarian and aid organisations, institutional funders, governments as well as border, immigration and asylum agencies.

This includes the provision of legal routes to safety to remove the need for hazardous journeys.