'Dangerous And Unnecessary': Labour Slammed For Giving Asylum Seekers Pamphlets On Sexual Consent

The government has been slammed for giving asylum seekers pamphlets on behaviour and expectations in the UK around sexual consent.

The Home Office has published a guide for those arriving in Britain telling them not to rape or sexually harass people, including partners and children.

The documents also tell refugees that women are allowed to “earn their own money” and “make their own decisions about their lives”.

The guidance, which appears to be aimed at men, claims people in the UK are expected not to make sexual remarks about someone “even if you think it is a compliment”.

It also urges asylum seekers not to make “kissing sounds” at someone, follow someone around or “block their path”, make rude or offensive gestures or “verbally abuse someone because of their gender, religion or how they look”.

The pamphlets warn asylum seekers they could end up in trouble with the authorities, lose their accommodation or face issues with their asylum claim if they are found to have broken the law.

The guidance is part of a nine-page document called, “Understanding behaviours and expectations in the UK: a guide for asylum seekers”.

Green peer Jenny Jones told Sky News: “This is a dangerous and unnecessary move by the Home Office which feeds into right wing tropes, and fuels the misinformation around migrants and people seeking asylum which has resulted in violent protests outside places where migrants are being housed, and attacks on migrants themselves.

“Shabana Mahmood needs to apologise for this grave error of judgement and take responsibility for any future consequences.

“We support consent education, but it needs to be universal. There is no evidence violence against women and girls is higher amongst migrants and people seeking asylum than among the general population.

“CPS research found that 30% of people do not recognise that being married or in a relationship means consent cannot be assumed, so why are only asylum seekers being told this is wrong?”

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

Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf said the guidance was a “disgrace”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham defended the brochures on Wednesday afternoon, telling broadcasters: “As a government we have a very clear principle. If you break UK law, you will be removed from the country.

“I’m currently working to ensure that foreign national offenders who can be removed from the prison system are removed from that system.”

He added: “So 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 now.”

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