Home Secretary Says Almost Every Woman in Northern France Awaiting UK Crossing Has 'Probably Been Raped'

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood claimed during an interview with The Rest Is Politics that almost every woman in northern France preparing to reach Britain by small boat had probably been raped during her journey.

She linked that assessment to the role of criminal gangs in determining who reached the coast and prepared to cross the Channel. Traffickers were deciding who had an opportunity to seek sanctuary in Britain, she argued.

Home Secretary Links Abuse Claims To Trafficking

'You can almost guarantee that every woman that's in the north of France has probably been raped along the journey.'

Mahmood's comments were reported by the Daily Mail from her conversation with podcast hosts Rory Stewart, a former Conservative minister, and Alastair Campbell, a former adviser to Tony Blair.

She also described abuse affecting men and argued that criminal gangs should not determine who entered the country.

'Some of the men too, they've certainly been abused and threatened. That is not the model that should decide whether somebody gets to come to the UK, make this their place of sanctuary and ultimately become one of us.'

Port Protesters Draw Home Secretary's Rejection

The report also described clashes between police and about 300 anti-migrant protesters at Gosport on Sunday, after rescued migrants arrived at Haslar Marina. Flares were set off during a confrontation that continued into the early hours of Monday.

The Home Office said 149 migrants were believed to have been aboard the dinghy, which was shadowed by French rescue vessels before being met by RNLI boats in English waters. Some arrived at the marina aboard two RNLI boats at around 10:15pm on Sunday before being transported by coach to a processing centre in Kent.

Demonstrators shouted 'send them back' and 'you're not welcome'.

Separately, during the interview, Mahmood discussed far-right protesters in Dover and Portsmouth who had praised some of her immigration policies. She rejected their support, telling them to 'sod off'.

'They're just troublemakers. You know, they'd kill me in a minute if they could, and they'd definitely kick me out of my own country,' she stated.

'So let's just be really clear about who and what they are. They don't think I'm a true Brit and they hate the fact that I'm a Muslim.'

Palestine Action Ban Tests Home Secretary's Position

Mahmood also described herself as part of the 'pro-Palestine cause' and expressed discomfort over arrests of activists opposing the ban on Palestine Action. She referred to protesters falling foul of section 13 of the Terrorism Act, but defended enforcement regardless of her personal views.

Merseyside Police arrested 82 people outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on suspicion of wearing or carrying articles supporting a proscribed organisation. A further 79 people were reported for summons.

The demonstration was organised by Defend Our Juries. Scores of people sat outside the conference centre, with several holding handmade banners expressing support for Palestine Action.

'You've got to be able to apply your principles, even when it's uncomfortable for you, because you're going to really want to apply them when it's something you, you know, with your whole heart, are feeling very passionately about.'

A police spokesman stated that the force respected lawful protest while seeking to maintain peace and public safety. The force described 'detailed and coordinated plans ahead of such events to ensure it can apply this consistently, fairly and proportionately'.

The spokesman also clarified that not everyone present at the demonstration had been committing a criminal offence.