'This Is Called Consent': UK Hands Asylum Seekers Guide Explaining They Must Not Rape or Harass Women

The Home Office has published a nine-page booklet telling asylum seekers that rape, sexual harassment and controlling behaviour towards women are crimes under UK law, as part of a wider effort to explain what is expected of people living in Britain.

Titled 'Understanding Behaviours and Expectations in the UK', the document was published on Wednesday and covers gender equality, sex and consent, domestic abuse and behaviour in public.

The guidance does not introduce new laws. Instead, it explains existing UK laws and social expectations in straightforward terms, including what constitutes consent and behaviour that could amount to sexual harassment or abuse.

'Consent Is Needed in Every Situation'

In its section on sex and consent, the booklet explains that consent is required for sexual activity and that a person must be free and able to make that choice.

It explicitly explains rape, stating: 'If you have sex with someone without their consent, this is called rape. Rape is a serious crime in the UK.'

Asylum seekers are also warned not to make unwanted sexual comments, whistle or make kissing noises at someone, follow someone or block their path, or make rude or offensive gestures.

The document states that it is illegal to have sex with someone under the age of 16, even if they say yes.

Gender equality is also addressed, with readers told that men and women have equal rights in Britain. The guidance explains that women are entitled to work, study, travel and make decisions about their own lives.

It also warns against domestic abuse and controlling behaviour, including preventing a woman from working or studying, controlling what she wears or where she goes, stopping her from seeing friends and family, or making decisions for her without her agreement.

Government Defends Guidance on UK Laws

Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended the booklet, saying it was appropriate to make Britain's laws and societal expectations clear to new arrivals.

'I have made it explicitly clear what the UK law is and what the societal norms of the UK are,' he said.

School Standards Minister Georgia Gould said the starting point for asylum seekers should be 'understanding the laws of this country', while cautioning against broad generalisations about migrants.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We expect everyone who comes to the UK to abide by our laws.

'If they do not, they will face consequences, including the refusal of their asylum claim and removal from the UK.'

Booklet Follows Serious Sexual Assault Cases

The guidance comes amid heightened scrutiny of crimes committed by some asylum seekers.

In April, Ibrahim Alshafe, Abdulla Ahmadi and Karin Al-Danasurt were found guilty of rape following an attack on a woman on Brighton beach in October 2025. All three were living at a hotel housing people seeking or appealing their asylum or immigration status.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Alshafe and Ahmadi raped the woman after she became separated from her friends following a night out. She was intoxicated, unable to stand and was shown unconscious in some footage of the attack.

Al-Danasurt filmed parts of the assault. Prosecutors successfully argued that although he did not physically participate in the sexual assault, his actions made him complicit in the rape.

Holly Morton, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS South East, described it as an 'appalling and violent attack' on a woman who was unable to consent.

Critics Call Booklet 'Absurd'

The guidance has attracted fierce criticism from opposition politicians.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argued that the Government should focus on removing migrants who commit crimes rather than trying to educate new arrivals about acceptable behaviour.

Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden described the booklet as 'absurd' and 'ridiculous', arguing that it explains what should already be obvious.

The publication comes as the Government faces continuing pressure over asylum policy and Channel crossings. Ministers maintain that the guidance simply makes British law and social expectations clear, while critics have questioned why such explicit instructions are considered necessary in the first place.