Asylum seekers told rape and harassment illegal in UK in new Home Office booklet

Image source, Home Office

ByJennifer McKiernanPolitical reporter

Asylum seekers have been told that rape, sexual harassment and domestic abuse are illegal in the UK, in guidance for new arrivals published by the Home Office.

A nine-page online booklet covers respect in public, sex and consent, and gender equality, with guidance on how UK laws and customs may be different from their home countries.

The Conservatives said any asylum seekers breaking UK law should be deported and Reform said the publication showed the government “knows that they are a menace”.

The Home Office said: “We expect everyone who comes to the UK to abide by our laws. If they do not, they will face consequences, including the refusal of their asylum claim and removal from the UK.”

According to the latest Home Office figures, a total of 93,525 people applied for asylum in the UK from April 2025 to March 2026, which was down by 12% on the same period in the previous year.

The booklet sets out how asylum seekers must understand UK law, because the consequences of breaking the law mean “you could get in trouble with the police, lose your asylum support, or it could affect your asylum claim.”

A section on gender, external explains that women in the UK have equal rights to men, and do not need the permission from a husband, father, brother or any other man to do things like work, study, travel, or make decisions.

Another section on sex and consent sets out how both people must agree to sex or sexual contact of any kind, and consent cannot be given if someone is asleep, drunk, or unable to respond.

“If you have sex with someone who does not want to, this is called rape. Rape is a serious crime,” the document says.

“It is still rape if: You are married to the person or in a relationship. They agreed once, but changed their mind.”

Two pages from Home Office guidance for asylum seekers. The first one says "Domestic abuse is illegal. In the UK, it is illegal to hurt, threaten or control your partner or family. This includes: hitting, pushing or any physical violence, threatening or verbal abuse, controlling their money or where they go, honour-based violence or abuse." The second one says: "In the UK, both people must say 'yes' to sex. This is called consent. If you have sex with someone with someone who does not want to it is called rape. Rape is a serious crime. It is still rape if: you are married to the person or in a relationship, they agreed once, but changed their mind."

And a section headed Respect in Public outlines how it is not acceptable to whistle or make kissing noises at people on the street, nor “make sexual comments to someone, even if you think it is a compliment”.

The guidance also contains contact details for organisations for victims and those seeking help with the issues raised.

The Home Office spokesman added: “Returns of failed asylum seekers have reached their highest level since 2010 under this government.“

The latest government figures show nearly 70,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals have been returned or deported from the UK since Labour came to power in July 2024.

The BBC understands nearly 10,000 foreign criminals, including murderers and rapists, have been removed since the last election – a 36% increase on the previous 21 months.

Two pages from Home Office guidance for asylum seekers, the first one says: "It is illegal to harass people. In the UK, everyone has the right to feel safe in public. You must never: make sexual comments to strangers, even as a compliment, approach someone repeatedly if they are not interested, follow someone or block their path." The second one says: "Do not photograph or film people in public. In the UK, you should not take pictures or videos of someone without their permission. This includes taking pictures or videos in public spaces, like streets or parks, or in private spaces like at home. Sharing sexual pictures or videos of someone without their permission is as serious offence."

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Instead of trying to train these mainly young, male illegal immigrants behave in a civilised way towards women, they should be deported.”

Philp called for deportations of asylum seekers, rather than attempting to change existing behaviour.

“Immigrants are coming from places and societies where attitudes towards women can be completely incompatible with Western society,” he said.

“Too many communities are failing to properly integrate and become part of our culture, leaving frankly backwards standards to prevail.”

In a two minute video posted on social media, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf labelled the document “a disgrace”, saying: “I genuinely cannot believe what I have just read.

“The government has just published a handy guide for illegal migrants on how not to be a rapist, not to be a paedophile, how not to beat women and how to leave babies alone.

“That again may be really hard to believe but that is exactly what they have just done.”

A Labour spokesperson declined to comment. The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party were contacted for comment.

Jacqueline McKenzie, head of immigration and asylum law at Leigh Day, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the material from the Home Office is “problematic, it’s inflammatory but done well it could be useful”.

“Something that could be quite good if done well and not done in a patronising way could be useful, but I’m very suspicious at the fact that the government has put this in the public domain.”

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne told the same programme that the government was “finally recognising that there’s an issue” but questioned what action would be taken.

The Conservative politician said: “Giving somebody a pamphlet saying ‘Be a good boy and don’t blow kisses at girls in this country and, by the way, girls and women have to say yes if you approach them’ is not going to cure something that is societal, it’s a cultural issue.”

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