Interpersonal violence as a public health issue amongst the refugee, migrant and learning disability communities.

OBJECTIVES: To examine interpersonal violence as a public health issue affecting refugees, migrants and people with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom, and to identify system-level drivers and opportunities for prevention and response. STUDY DESIGN: Theory-informed conceptual narrative synthesis using two illustrative case studies. METHODS: We synthesised evidence from public health, migration and disability literature and relevant policy/guidance, organised using an ecological and social determinants framework. We developed two case studies (forced migration and learning disability) to map how systems shape exposure, disclosure and access to protection. RESULTS: Across both populations, violence is structurally produced through immigration/asylum rules, institutional and social care environments, welfare and housing precarity, and service designs that restrict autonomy and undermine disclosure. Common gaps include under-recognition by services, limited staff training, and a lack of culturally and cognitively accessible pathways to safety, contributing to preventable health inequalities. CONCLUSIONS: Preventing and responding to interpersonal violence for these groups requires system-level, rights-based, trauma-informed and culturally/cognitively responsive approaches, including routine enquiry, accessible communication tools, clear referral pathways and sustained investment in specialist community-led services.