Advocacy & Policy
We will campaign across a range of areas to protect the rights of people subjected to cross-border abuse. Our flagship campaign is for practical reforms that reduce the financial and logistical barriers faced by people who must protect their rights in another jurisdiction, most notably an International Access to Justice Fund.
We will also inform and educate thought leaders and decision-makers, drawing on the experiences and findings uncovered through our research.
Our advocacy is evidence-led and non-party-political. What follows are proposals and research priorities, not descriptions of current law or of services we already provide.
OUR ADVOCACY PHILOSOPHY
Three principles
1. Borders should not magnify the abuser’s power.
2. Borders should not diminish the victim’s protection.
3. Borders should not destroy the relationships, rights and responsibilities that deserve protecting.
Together they express our core principle: Protect what connects you across borders. Break the control that crosses them.
Our policy pillars
Fifteen areas where we intend to research, build evidence and campaign for practical reform. Our first priorities are the first three: Access to Justice, Safe Communication and Preserve Safe Family Relationships.
PILLAR 01 · FLAGSHIP CAMPAIGN
Cross-border access to justice
“Why should someone lose meaningful access to justice simply because the person abusing them — or the court with jurisdiction over their case — is in another country?”
A border should never become a financial shield behind which abuse can continue.
Tied Across Borders wants to explore practical reforms that reduce the financial and logistical barriers faced by people who must protect their rights in another jurisdiction.
Areas for future research and advocacy may include:
- an International Access to Justice Fund
- subsidised overseas legal representation
- reciprocal legal-aid arrangements
- translation and interpretation costs
- notarisation, legalisation and document costs
- expert evidence
- court fees
- limited travel assistance where genuinely necessary
- vetted foreign-lawyer referral pathways
- emergency support where safeguarding or children are involved
These are policy proposals and research priorities. They are not existing services currently provided by Tied Across Borders.
PILLAR 02
Necessary communication should not mean unlimited access
Some contact must continue — especially around co-parenting, shared businesses, property, legal proceedings and immigration matters.
Advocacy possibilities
- structured written channels
- third-party communication where necessary
- purpose-limited communication
- safer digital platforms
- communication records
- professional intermediaries
- clear boundaries
“A legitimate reason for contact should not become a licence for harassment.”
PILLAR 03
Protecting children’s relationships from unjustified interference across borders
Children may have legitimate reasons to refuse contact with a parent. Abuse allegations must be taken seriously, and genuine safeguarding concerns must never be dismissed.
At the same time, certain manipulative, obstructive or interfering behaviours can seriously damage a child’s relationship with a safe, loving parent. Tied Across Borders considers it especially important to research whether cross-border circumstances can increase both the risk and the impact of these behaviours.
Where contact is already limited, factors such as
- physical distance between the child and the other parent
- dependence on one person to arrange calls or video calls
- control over school, medical or everyday information
- language barriers
- cultural differences
- immigration restrictions
- high travel costs
- long delays in international proceedings
…can make it easier to weaken a relationship, and much harder for the affected parent to maintain it, show what is happening or secure timely intervention.
“Language, cultural and physical barriers should not make it easier for a safe relationship between a child and a parent to disappear without justification.”
Tied Across Borders intends to research
- whether international situations increase the risk of alienating behaviours or unjustified interference
- how blocking or limiting contact affects parent-child relationships
- how to distinguish these situations from those in which a child has legitimate safety reasons to avoid contact
- preserving safe parent-child relationships
- independent, child-centred assessment
- faster intervention mechanisms when a safe relationship begins to disappear
- the specific effect of language, cultural, immigration and geographical barriers
We do not present “parental alienation syndrome” as a diagnosis. Our focus is on observable behaviours, their impact on children and the additional effect that international borders can have.
PILLAR 04
Recognising cross-border abuse
Abuse can continue even when people live in different countries. Domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, intimidation, coercion, economic abuse and digital abuse do not require two people to live under the same roof.
OUR WORKING DEFINITION
Cross-border abuse is abuse where the behaviour, relationship, dependency, perpetrator, victim or systems involved span more than one country. The victim and the perpetrator do not have to live in different countries.
This is a Tied Across Borders working definition. It is not necessarily an established legal term in every jurisdiction. We intend to research and advocate for clearer policy and safeguarding recognition of the phenomenon.
Potential advocacy goals
- recognition within domestic-abuse policy
- police guidance
- safeguarding frameworks
- consular guidance
- judicial training
- professional training
- research funding
- improved data collection
PILLAR 05
Your right to seek justice should not stop at your own border
People affected by cross-border abuse may have no realistic choice about where legal proceedings take place. Tied Across Borders advocates for the ability to use foreign legal systems confidently, fairly and affordably when those courts have legitimate jurisdiction over something important in their lives.
Tied Across Borders is not campaigning to discourage litigation. We are campaigning to make legitimate cross-border litigation accessible, understandable and fair. These are barriers people may face, which we intend to research and address.
Potential reform areas
- affordable overseas legal representation
- clear information for foreign litigants
- interpretation and translation
- remote participation where appropriate
- access to court documents and case information
- reasonable filing and administrative procedures
- transparent lawyer-referral mechanisms
- legal-aid or subsidy pathways
- consular signposting
- protection against discrimination based on nationality or residence
- support understanding procedural rights
- practical assistance with notarisation, apostilles, document service and international evidence
“If another country’s courts have jurisdiction over something fundamental to your life, meaningful access to those courts should not depend on your nationality, residence or wealth.”
PILLAR 06
Your rights should not become weaker because you are foreign
People involved in proceedings outside their home country may fear:
We intend to advocate for
“Nobody should enter a foreign courtroom assuming their rights matter less because their passport is different.”
- being disadvantaged because they are not citizens
- language barriers
- unfamiliar procedures
- cultural assumptions
- lack of local connections
- difficulty understanding complaint routes
- inability to assess whether professional advice is reliable
- clearer information about procedural rights
- reliable interpretation
- transparent complaint mechanisms
- independent legal representation
- consular signposting
- training on unconscious bias and foreign litigants
- research into whether international litigants experience systemic disadvantages
PILLAR 07
Protection when people fear corruption or institutional misconduct
Most legal systems work to protect the people who rely on them. But people navigating an unfamiliar jurisdiction may sometimes have genuine concerns about:
- bribery
- conflicts of interest
- misconduct
- local influence
- opaque procedures
- professional malpractice
- discrimination
Potential advocacy goals
- independent complaint mechanisms
- transparent lawyer directories
- vetted referral networks
- escalation routes
- better consular guidance
- clearer information about professional regulators
- research into institutional-integrity risks in cross-border abuse cases
“People should know where to turn if they reasonably fear that the system intended to protect them is not functioning fairly.”
PILLAR 08
Mediation must not be imposed where there is abuse or a serious imbalance of power
Tied Across Borders intends to research and promote
The aim is not to oppose mediation in every case. It is to prevent a process described as voluntary from becoming a new route for pressure or access.
Mediation can be useful in some disputes between parties who are able to take part freely and on reasonably equal terms.
However, where there are credible indicators of domestic abuse, coercive control, intimidation, fear, stalking or a serious imbalance of power, mediation should not be suggested as an automatic response, or used to pressure someone into re-establishing direct contact with the person abusing them.
Someone who has set boundaries or stopped contact for safety reasons should not be forced to negotiate directly with the other party again simply because the dispute crosses a border.
“A process cannot be considered genuinely voluntary if someone takes part because they fear the consequences of refusing.”
- rigorous assessment of abuse, coercion and power imbalance before mediation is recommended
- the right to decline mediation where there are credible reasons related to abuse, intimidation or safety
- no adverse inferences from declining mediation in those circumstances
- legal and professional routes that do not require direct contact with the person exercising abuse
- structured or intermediated communication only where necessary and safe
- better professional and judicial understanding of how coercive control affects a person’s ability to negotiate freely
PILLAR 09
Children should not become casualties of geography
A relationship between adults may end, but children’s attachments, identities and relationships do not simply disappear because parents live in different countries. Borders can intensify conflict by introducing:
“Children should not become collateral damage simply because geographical borders exist.”
Potential advocacy goals
A child’s best interests and safety always come first. Contact is not always safe or appropriate, and safeguarding concerns must always be properly assessed.
- physical distance
- language barriers
- cultural differences
- unequal access to information
- dependence on one parent for communication
- high travel costs
- long legal delays
- faster cross-border child-contact procedures
- reliable video and telephone contact arrangements
- neutral communication mechanisms
- timely access to education and health information
- support for travel where appropriate
- child-centred safeguarding assessments
- recognition that prolonged delays can themselves damage relationships
- affordable legal assistance
- greater international cooperation
PILLAR 10
Abuse should not gain practical immunity at the border
An abusive person should not gain practical immunity because their phone, keyboard or front door happens to be in another jurisdiction.
The problem
- police forces may sit in different countries
- evidence may be held abroad
- platforms may operate elsewhere
- protective orders may not transfer easily
- victims may not know where to report conduct
Some international and regional arrangements — such as mutual legal assistance agreements and cybercrime cooperation frameworks — can help in certain situations. Their coverage, speed and practical availability vary considerably, and they do not provide comprehensive protection everywhere.
Potential reforms
- international police referral protocols
- evidence-preservation mechanisms
- mutual assistance
- recognition and enforcement of protective measures
- shared reporting pathways
- cross-border stalking and harassment protocols
- specialist contact points
- better consular coordination
PILLAR 11
Abuse can cross a border in seconds
Technology can enable
- location tracking
- impersonation
- fake social-media accounts
- threats
- intimate-image abuse
- synthetic images
- deepfake audio and video
- fabricated messages
- AI-assisted humiliation
- reputational attacks
- coordinated harassment
We intend to advocate for
- rapid evidence preservation
- better platform reporting
- lawful cross-border attribution mechanisms
- specialist police capacity
- digital-forensics support
- provenance and authenticity tools
- stronger responses to synthetic impersonation
- clear victim pathways
- safeguards against misuse of surveillance powers
AI should not give abusers a cheaper, faster or less accountable way to manufacture humiliation or false evidence.
PILLAR 12 · RESEARCH AND REFORM PRIORITY
Protection should not stop at passport control
There is no single universal system for recognising protective orders across countries. Some regional and bilateral arrangements exist, but whether an order has effect abroad can depend on the countries and the type of order involved. Tied Across Borders intends to research and explore advocacy around:
- faster recognition of protective orders
- reciprocal enforcement where legally possible
- emergency cross-border safeguards
- clear information for victims about whether an order has effect abroad
- police awareness of foreign orders
PILLAR 13
Consulates should know where to send people
We intend to explore advocating for basic minimum standards for embassies and consulates supporting citizens experiencing cross-border abuse. Possible standards include:
- vetted local-lawyer lists
- domestic-abuse referrals
- stalking referrals
- child-safeguarding contacts
- immigration guidance routes
- information about local legal aid
- emergency-document procedures
- professional-regulator details
- translation resources
Consular services should not determine guilt, provide legal representation or replace local authorities. Their role should include clear, reliable navigation.
PILLAR 14
Victims should not have to become their own international case manager
Tied Across Borders does not currently operate a helpline or provide individual case management. We intend to advocate for public, philanthropic and institutional funding for:
- multilingual helplines
- emotional support
- trauma-informed support
- peer-support groups
- specialist support for male victims
- LGBTQ+ support
- migrant-worker support
- child-focused support
- digital-safety advice
- international navigation services
- translation
- research
- case-coordination pilots
“Nobody experiencing cross-border abuse should have to piece together five different systems alone while frightened, financially strained or separated from someone they love.”
PILLAR 15
We need to understand the scale of the problem
One reason cross-border abuse is difficult to address is that it is often recorded under separate categories — domestic abuse, immigration, family law, cybercrime or employment — rather than as one connected issue. We intend to campaign for better research into:
- prevalence
- gender
- parenthood
- immigration status
- jurisdiction
- costs
- legal outcomes
- digital abuse
- stalking
- economic abuse
- migrant-worker exploitation
- child impact
- service gaps
“If another country’s courts have jurisdiction over something fundamental to your life, meaningful access to those courts should not depend on your nationality, residence or wealth.”
Potential future outputs
- annual reports
- survivor surveys
- practitioner surveys
- country comparisons
- cost-of-justice studies
- policy briefings
Help shape our advocacy
We want our policy work to be informed by lived experience, professional expertise and evidence. We would particularly like to hear from survivors, parents, migrant workers, lawyers, domestic-abuse professionals, academics, safeguarding professionals, digital-safety specialists, unions, NGOs, consular professionals and policymakers.
Please do not send confidential evidence, court documents or information that identifies another person.
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