The Home Office has been accused of trapping people in abusive relationships after hiking its visa fees for domestic abuse survivors applying to stay in the UK, openDemocracy can reveal.

From February, foreign-born domestic abuse survivors will have to pay £2,885 to apply for leave to remain in the UK – an increase of £481 on the previous rate. Those with dependent children will also have to pay an additional £2,885 for each child. 

The Home Office says it costs £646 to process a leave to remain application, so the department will make a 77% net profit margin on every domestic abuse survivor’s application.

Charities that support domestic violence victims have warned that the 20% fee increase will “make it even harder” for women to leave their abusers.

This is the second time visa fees have risen in two years, with the current fee already having more than doubled since 2014, when it stood at £1,093. 

Announcing the latest increase in July, the then chief secretary to the treasury, John Glen, said it “will help to cover more of the cost of the migration and border system”. 

Lucy Hadley, the head of policy at Women’s Aid, told openDemocracy: “Migrant women escaping abuse already face numerous barriers to safety, including severe challenges accessing legal aid for immigration advice. 

“This decision will make it even harder for them to leave their abusers.”

Foreign nationals who have suffered abuse or violence from a spouse or partner who is a British citizen or a person settled in the country can apply for permission to stay.

The rule was introduced in 2002 after a campaign led by domestic abuse charity 

Southall Black Sisters warned that women were being trapped in abusive or violent relationships because of their lack of immigration status.

Speaking to openDemocracy about the latest fees hike, Southall Black Sisters said: “We are concerned that such a steep increase in visa fee, along with a continued lack of long-term, sustainable support provisions would result in more migrant victims with insecure immigration status losing their status and becoming undocumented. 

“We are especially concerned about the misuse of these measures by perpetrators, who regularly weaponise draconian immigration regulations, including victims’ inability to pay extortionate visa fees and the lack of safe reporting procedures to keep them trapped in abusive situations and harm them.”

The fee for applying is set as the same as any other application for leave to remain in the UK, but only domestic abuse survivors can apply for the fees to be waived if they can provide proof that they are destitute.

Following the introduction of the Home Office’s hostile environment policy in 2012, the refusal rate for domestic violence leave to remain applications doubled, the Guardian reported in 2018.

In 2015, the Home Office stopped giving people a right to appeal if their application is refused. Applicants can only request an administrative review but just 2% of reviews led to a decision being overturned between 2015 and 2018.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.