'DON'T RAPE WOMEN': UK ministers issue asylum seekers guide on how to behave around women

CALGARY — The UK Home Office has issued a new nine-page guide for asylum seekers outlining expectations around gender equality, sexual consent, domestic abuse and public behaviour — including explicit warnings that rape and sexual assault are serious crimes.The booklet, titled Understanding behaviours and expectations in the UK: A guide for asylum seekers, was published by the Home Office on Wednesday and is intended to explain the laws and social expectations asylum seekers may encounter while living in Britain.According to Daily Mail, guide opens by acknowledging that asylum seekers may be arriving from countries where laws and customs differ from those in the United Kingdom.The booklet has already drawn criticism from Conservative politicians, with shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accusing the government of trying to "train" migrants rather than deporting those who commit crimes.It states that UK laws are intended to protect people's “safety, dignity and rights” and warns that failing to follow the law can result in police involvement, the loss of asylum support or accommodation, or consequences for an individual's asylum claim..One section focuses specifically on gender equality.The booklet tells asylum seekers that men and women have equal rights in the UK and explains that women can work, study, travel freely, choose whether or not to marry and make decisions about their own lives.It specifically states that women do not require permission from a husband, father, brother or another man to make those decisions.The guide also warns against controlling behaviour, including preventing a woman from working or studying, controlling what she wears or where she goes, preventing her from seeing friends or family, or making decisions on her behalf without her agreement.The Home Office says controlling or threatening behaviour can constitute domestic abuse and may result in arrest, imprisonment, loss of accommodation and support, and consequences for an asylum claim..The section on sex and consent is particularly direct.It explains that both people must freely agree to sexual activity and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. It also states that a person who is asleep, drunk or otherwise unable to respond cannot consent.The booklet makes clear that this applies even within marriages and relationships.“If you have sex with someone without their consent, this is called rape,” the guidance states.It warns asylum seekers that rape is a serious crime in the UK and could result in imprisonment, loss of support and accommodation, and consequences for their asylum claim.The guide also addresses sex involving children, stating that the legal age of consent in the UK is 16 and that sexual activity with someone under that age is a serious crime..The guidance goes beyond serious sexual offences and outlines behaviour that asylum seekers are expected to avoid in public.It tells readers not to make sexual comments toward people, even if they believe the comments are compliments.It also specifically warns against whistling or making “kissing noises” at someone, following someone or blocking their path, making rude or offensive gestures, and verbally abusing someone because of their gender, religion or appearance.The booklet also warns that taking or sharing sexual images without someone's consent is a serious crime..Despite being specifically produced for asylum seekers, the Home Office stresses that the rules described in the booklet are not unique to migrants.“These rules and expectations are not just for people seeking asylum, they apply to everyone living here,” the guidance states.The document also provides information for asylum seekers who may themselves be victims of domestic or sexual abuse and directs them toward police, medical and support services. The Home Office's publication comes as migration and the integration of asylum seekers remain politically contentious issues in Britain.Sky News reported Wednesday that the booklet was being distributed alongside posters designed to communicate the same expectations to asylum seekers. The outlet reported that the government declined to comment specifically on the guidance.The publication is not the first Home Office material to address sexual abuse and domestic violence among people seeking asylum. Government guidance on responding to domestic-abuse reports from asylum seekers has been in place for several years.The new booklet, however, puts the expectations directly into a short guide intended for asylum seekers living in Britain, with separate sections covering gender equality, domestic abuse, sex and consent, respect in public and access to support.As of publication, the Home Office had not released a statement regarding the guide.

'DON'T RAPE WOMEN': UK ministers issue asylum seekers guide on how to behave around women

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