Migrants Told 'Don't Beat Your Wife, Don't Abuse Children': Home Office's New 'Behaviour Guide' Sparks Fury

The Home Office has come under fire for releasing guidelines aimed at asylum seekers on how to conduct themselves while in the UK. Critics have lambasted the posters titled 'Resources for asylum seekers in the UK', arguing the guidance is patronising and unnecessary.

One poster explaining consent to asylum seekers states: 'In the UK, both people must say "yes" to sex. This is called consent. If you have sex with someone who does not want to, this is called rape. Rape is a serious crime. It is still rape if: you are married to the person or in a relationship; they agreed once, but changed their mind.'

Furore Over Posters

Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage condemned the initiative: 'The Home Office has spent your money to produce these posters for illegal migrants. Why are we letting these people into our country?'

Politics producer Jack Parker replied to Farage: 'Taxpayer money was also spent on the Clacton by-election, to be fair.' He was referring to Farage's recent election win, where he faced a satirical candidate, Count Binface, and dozens of independent candidates. Major political parties boycotted the by-election, calling it a 'farce.'

The Home Office is also giving away booklets to asylum seekers called 'Understanding Behaviours and Expectations in the UK: A Guide for Asylum Seekers.' Conservative MP Katie Lam for Weald of Kent also criticised the move: 'If people don't already know that: It's wrong to rape. ⁠It's wrong to have sex with children. ⁠Men and women are equal... The answer isn't to tell them when they come here and hope for the best. It's to never let them into our country in the first place.'

How Much Did the Home Office Spend on Posters?

Ring-wing groups including the Tories, Reform UK and Restore Britain have united in questioning the funds spent on posters for asylum seekers. 'I've just submitted a request to the Home Office asking for the full cost of these posters and booklets,' said Lewis Brackpool, director for investigations at Restore Britain.

'The British state is now spending public money explaining to foreign men that child sexual abuse and female genital mutilation are illegal,' Brackpool continued. He was referring to a poster spelling out that child abuse is a serious crime in the UK. The poster enumerated what are considered acts of child abuse: physically hurting a child, having sexual contact with a child under 16 and cutting or harming a girl's genitals, among others.

Political Reactions

Political commentator Chris Rose, who recently joined Reform UK from the Conservatives, said: 'The government will hand out these posters but tar you as "racist" if you dare to say that not all cultures are equal.'

'It's a disgrace that the Home Office even needs to issue this,' said Gareth Davies, Conservative MP for Grantham and Bourne: 'But look at the small print: "You COULD be arrested" and "this COULD affect your asylum claim". There should be absolutely no caveats or whataboutery when it comes to locking up paedophiles, foreign or domestic.'

According to government data, some 100,625 people have claimed asylum in the UK in 2025. Around 41% of them arrived by small boat, while 39% have entered the UK on a proper visa or electronic travel authorisation.