Home Office defends asylum booklet on rape and child abuse laws
The Home Office has published a nine-page guide for asylum seekers stating that rape, child abuse and harassment are illegal, prompting criticism from all sides.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The Home Office has issued a nine-page booklet for asylum seekers called "Understanding Behaviours and Expectations in the UK", which makes clear that rape, sexual harassment, domestic abuse and sex with a child under the age of 16 are serious crimes. It also states that men and women are equal under UK law and that both people must agree to sex or sexual contact.
The guidance, which was published this week, is designed to explain the country's laws and customs to people arriving to claim asylum. It warns that those who break the law could go to prison, lose their support and accommodation, and that it may affect their asylum claim. It also includes helpline numbers for victims.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended the booklet when challenged, saying: "If you break UK law, you will be removed from the country." He added that the government is explicit about UK laws and societal norms, and that people are made aware of them.
But the publication has prompted strong reactions from all sides. The Conservative Party said that anyone who needs this leaflet does not belong in Britain. Reform UK said the booklet is a scandal and shows that the government knows asylum seekers are a menace. The Green Party and refugee charities warned that it fuels hostility, suspicion and racism, and reinforces negative stereotypes.
The Home Office said the guidance is not new and has been in use for some time, but its wider publication has now sparked political debate. A Home Office spokesperson said that those who do not abide by UK law will face consequences, including refusal of their asylum claim and removal.
Meanwhile, the government has also been highlighting figures showing French police have prevented small boat crossings in the Channel, including a 43% drop in arrivals this year compared to last. That appears to be part of a wider strategy to reduce numbers and discourage people from making the journey.
The pamphlet remains at the centre of a debate about what is expected of people who come to the UK and what the state must do to protect women and children.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 7 channels | |||||||
| The government reported a 43% decrease in boat crossings. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC Two | |||||
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | |||||||
| French police stopped 185 small boats since the start of May. | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | |||||
| The booklet was translated into 16 languages. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by ITV | ||
| The Home Office booklet provides guidance to asylum seekers on topics such as the age of consent, consent, gender equality, and domestic abuse. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| A Home Office guide reportedly warns migrants that sex with children is illegal and that men and women are equal under UK law, and that committing such an offence will affect an asylum claim; the Home Office did not comment. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Sky News | ||||
| The new UK-France deal costs £662 million over three years, with £100 million conditional on results. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | |||
| The Home Office said that failure to abide by the law could lead to refusal of asylum claims and removal. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The new French police tactics increased the number of interceptions by 5%. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Reported by Sky News | ||
| The prime minister defended the guidance, saying anyone who breaks UK law will be removed from the country. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | |||
| A record 230 people were on a single boat. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Footage showed French officers being attacked by migrants and responding with pepper spray and by slashing a boat. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| French authorities intercepted around 61-66% of attempted Channel crossings since April. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| French police have intercepted 12 taxi boats so far. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| The charity Asylum Matters accused the government of fuelling hostility, suspicion, and racism and reinforcing harmful myths. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The deal includes additional French enforcement measures, including boosted beach enforcement and new equipment and personnel such as riot police, drones, helicopters, and cameras. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| The Home Office refused to specify the guidance's purpose or when it was introduced, and the guidance is not new. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| Only on one channel | |||||||
| A mother said she fled her home with her two daughters because migrants used nearby woods as a launch site about 500 yards from her house, and French police said they could not act unless migrants were caught on her property. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Conservative politicians criticised the deal, including Chris Philp calling it a joke and Matt Vickers claiming prevented crossings were down 52% year on year. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Kemi Badenoch said that anyone who needs the leaflet does not belong in Britain. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Kemi Badenoch said the UK is not getting value for money from France and that crossings are higher than before. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| More than 93,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year to March. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Over a third of Britain's nightclubs have closed since 2020. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| RAF Barnum in Thetford will house 1,200 migrants from countries including Iran, Eritrea, Sudan and Afghanistan. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Reform UK said the guidance shows the government knows asylum seekers are a menace. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Right to Remain runs a campaign called These Walls Must Fall, which claims the border enforcement regime is a racist system. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Right to Remain's services were used by 320,000 people in a single year. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The average number of people per boat has more than doubled since 2021. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The booklet contains a page stating that seeking help or reporting a crime will not affect an asylum claim. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The document states that sex without consent is rape and a serious crime in the UK. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The government announced the closure of 13 migrant hotels. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The government does not record the asylum status of sexual offenders. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The government has already deported over 10,000 people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The Green Party criticised the guidance for feeding into misinformation. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The Home Secretary said the deal is having a real impact and that over 47,000 crossing attempts have been stopped since the election. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The Prime Minister ordered a cut to business rates for pubs and music venues. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The Prime Minister said the government is working to remove foreign national offenders. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| There have been court cases where Afghan defendants used the defence that raping a 14-year-old is normal in their country. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| There is little evidence asylum seekers are more likely to commit crimes. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC TWO transcript covers a story about UK nightlife and club closures, not the Home Office pamphlet. It does not provide coverage of the topic in question.
GB News treated the pamphlet as a scandal and proof that the government knows about dangerous behaviour among asylum seekers. Presenters and guests used strong language like "disgusting" and "astonishing", arguing that anyone who needs such guidance should not be in the UK. They also linked the leaflet to broader claims about importing rape cultures and the need for stricter border control.
- “I find it disgusting. I find it astonishing.”
- “It's basically a step by step guide telling immigrants not to rape children.”
- “If you don't understand that in Britain we treat women as equals, that rape is a criminal offence, then you have no place in this country.”
BBC One West covered the story with an emphasis on the political reaction. Its political correspondent explained the content of the pamphlet and quoted the prime minister as well as opposition spokespeople. The tone was neutral, focusing on the debate and the fact that the guidance is not actually new.
- “The government has defended newly published guidance for asylum seekers, which tells them how they should behave.”
- “The Conservatives said that instead of trying to train mainly young male asylum seekers to behave in a civilised way, the government should deport them.”
ITV1 covered the story in a balanced way, describing the booklet's content and the reactions from the prime minister and the opposition. They highlighted the absence of data on the asylum status of offenders, and included the concern of refugee charities that the leaflet may reinforce negative stereotypes.
- “The government has defended new Home Office booklets designed to tell asylum seekers that rape is illegal.”
- “If you break UK law, you will be removed from the country.”
BBC News reported the story with a focus on the political row. The broadcast quoted the prime minister and opposition figures, and noted that the guidance is not new. It also covered the reactions from the Green Party and Asylum Matters charity.
- “Newly published guidance telling asylum seekers how they should behave when they arrive in the UK says sex without consent, harassment and domestic abuse are all illegal.”
- “It's the fact they've now been published which has prompted this backlash.”
Sky News covered the story with a panel discussion that weighed both sides. It showed the actual booklet and its contents, while noting the irony that the guidance makes rules that seem obvious to many. The channel gave a platform to those who saw it as stating the obvious and a tool to support victims, as well as those who saw it as a symbol of a deeper problem.
- “As a government, we have a very clear principle. If you break UK law, you will be removed from the country.”
- “It is both stating the bleeding obvious and there is a point to it.”
- “Critics are saying that this just shows that the sort of people who are coming here do not have British values.”
5 News did not cover the Home Office pamphlet in the provided transcripts. The channel's coverage focused on a separate story about French police intercepting small boats in the Channel. No analysis of the pamphlet was offered.
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.