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quinta-feira, 20 de agosto de 2026
Asylum seekers told rape and harassment illegal in UK in new Home Office booklet
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Asylum
seekers told rape and harassment illegal in UK in new Home Office booklet
1 hour
ago
Jennifer
McKiernan
Political
reporter
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqe3y34e9eo
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".
Prime
Minister Andy Burnham said the government had "a very clear principle that
if you break UK law, you will be removed from the country".
He said
the number of removals of illegal immigrants from the UK "are
significantly up" and that he was working to ensure that foreign national
offenders are removed from the prison system.
He added:
"It follows that if we're taking this approach, it's made explicitly clear
what the UK law is and what the societal norms of the UK are and that's why
this approach is being taken."
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 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."
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.
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."
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.
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