The Home Office has issued new guidance to asylum seekers telling them "men and women are equal" in the UK amid mounting fears over integration and cultural values.
The guidance tells arrivals "this means women can work, study, travel and make their own choices". Officials faced ridicule after telling new arrivals "it is illegal to hurt, threaten or control your partner or family".
Guidance on gender equality and consent
In a new booklet for asylum seekers, the Home Office said: "Women do not need permission from a husband, father, brother or any other man to do any of these things."
They added: "Men and women are treated equally by the law, by employers, by schools and by services like hospitals and the police. It is against the law to treat someone unfairly because of their gender."
The guidance also states: "We understand that coming to a new country can be difficult, and that laws and customs here may be different from your home country. In the UK, there are laws that protect everyone's safety, dignity and rights. It is important that you understand them, because not following UK law can have serious consequences. You could get in trouble with the police, lose your asylum support, or it could affect your asylum claim."
Advice on rape and consent
The advice details what rape is, adding that "consent" is needed in every situation. The Home Office said: "This means even if you are married or in a relationship with someone, they must consent to sex every time. If you have sex with someone without their consent, this is called rape. Rape is a serious crime in the UK. You could go to prison, lose your support and accommodation, and it will affect your asylum claim."
This follows a spate of sex crimes committed by asylum seekers. Two asylum seekers who repeatedly raped a woman on Brighton beach and a third who filmed it have been jailed. The victim recalled being spat on, kicked, and her throat being grabbed during the attack on October 4 last year.
Recent cases involving asylum seekers
Egyptian national Ibrahim Alshafe, 26, and Iranian Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, who met on a small boat from France four months before the attack, raped her behind a beach hut. Egyptian Karin Al-Danasurt, 21, who shared a room with Alshafe at an asylum hotel in Lower Beeding, West Sussex, filmed the ordeal. The men had been to a bar and nightclub on the beach where prosecutors suggested Alshafe was "on the prowl".
Afghan small boat migrant Ahmad Mulakhil attacked a 12-year-old schoolgirl after luring her into a secluded area behind a row of garages in Nuneaton. He filmed the rape and then later tried to blame his traumatised victim. The asylum seeker had only been in the country for several months after crossing the Channel on a small boat.
