Forced migrant survivors of SGBV constitute some of the most marginalised groups within countries of refuge. This report explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on forced migrant survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and the organisations which support them across the five countries involved in the SEREDA project; the UK, Turkey, Tunisia, Sweden and Australia. Interviews with 52 survivors and 45 service providers identified a number of effects associated with the pandemic which impacted on the lives of forced migrants and survivors of SGBV, undermining their coping, recovery, ability to integrate and potentially increasing their vulnerability to further abuse and exploitation.

The study identified the impact of the emergency at three levels:

• those which are likely to affect the general population;
• those that are likely to be specific to forced migrants, and;
• those that arise because of the intersection of forced migration with SGBV.