In the UK, the Home Office has issued a behavioral guidance document for asylum seekers, which has garnered mixed reactions. While some British media have viewed the booklet as "bizarre" and misleading, other sources have taken a different approach, suggesting that it allegedly proves an existing link between migrants and crime. Scientific studies caution that such correlations need to be treated with nuance and care.
The new behavioral guidance pamphlet for asylum seekers in the UK covers a rash of societal standards, customs as well as legal provisions in the country.
The nine-page document published by the Home Office (interior ministry) focuses in particular on issues like sex, consent, and gender equality, as well as on what being respectful in public spaces means in Britain.
The guide stresses that "[t]hese rules and expectations are not just for people seeking asylum, they apply to everyone living here" and that "[t]his booklet will help you understand what is expected of you when living in the UK."
"We understand that coming to a new country can be difficult, and that laws and customs here may be different from your home country."
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'Abide by our laws'
The small document particularly emphasizes the notion that certain types of behavior might be regarded and treated differently in certain countries of origin than they are in the UK, and that this may have severe legal consequences in certain contexts.
"You could get in trouble with the police, lose your asylum support, or it could affect your asylum claim," the behavioral guide highlights in relation to certain types of unacceptable behavior in Britain.
A Home Office spokesperson meanwhile doubled down on this message, commenting that "[w]e 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."
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Sex and the principle of consent
In particular, there is an emphasis on sex and gender issues in the pamphlet, which explains attitudes and norms in the UK as well as the legal consequences if these standards are not upheld.
Among other things, this section explains the importance of consent wherever activities of a sexual nature are concerned.
It outlines that the principle of consent means that all parties involved have to unequivocally agree to any sexual act, and that sex with individuals who may momentarily be incapacitated to express consent is illegal and would constitute sexual assault.
The document explains in detail that this would apply to someone who is asleep, drunk or unable to respond, and that drugging someone in order to have sex with them counts as rape.
"If you have sex with someone without their consent, this is called rape," the booklet stresses.
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In another section, the booklet underlines the fact that in Britain, men and women are equal before the law and in all areas of public life, stressing that no adult requires permission to live their independent lives as they see fit while making their own decisions.
These paragraphs elaborate on what exactly this might imply, suggesting that activities such as pursuing work, studies, and travel would be covered by this.
This section appears to take particular aim at legal systems like Sharia in Islam, where inequality between men and women is enshrined into law.
It also juxtaposes the fact that in some countries of origin, such matters are governed by a male family member -- typically a husband, father or brother -- and that this kind of patriarchal system is not allowed in Britain.
The pamphlet also comes with information about seeking assistance in instances of domestic violence and sexual assault, featuring help lines and other services for individuals who might be affected.
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Equality. Equality. Equality.
The section focusing on respectful behavior in public also focuses largely on issues of a sexual nature.
It explains that to "make sexual comments to someone, even if you think it is a compliment" is not permitted in Britain, stressing that activities like catcalling, whistling at people or stalking them will not be tolerated.
Another part of this section also stresses that it is illegal to take sexual photos or videos of people without their consent.
"In the UK, people have different beliefs, religions, cultures, relationships and ways of life. You must treat others with respect, even if you disagree with their beliefs or how they live," the pamphlet summarizes.
Notably, the document does not mention the equal status of members of the LGBTQ+ community in Britain, and the liberal position of the country on issues relating to same-sex attraction as well as trans identities.
Media reactions
The behavioral guide has attracted mixed reactions from the press, public and politicians: The Times daily newspaper focused on the implications of domestic violence in the document amid a reported rise in such cases.
Sky News meanwhile pointed out that "[m]en appear to be the primary target for the instructions," while acknowledging that in the pamphlet, "there are also resources for asylum seekers who think they may be victims of illegal behaviour."
The right-leaning Daily Telegraph newspaper meanwhile implied that there might be something awry with the fact that a "[m]igrant advice booklet explains what rape is," while the equally right-wing Fox News broadcaster in US said the document served the purpose of "reminding [asylum seekers] not to rape women and sexually abuse anyone."
The Sun tabloid paper made a direct link between the publication of the document and a "string of attacks" in the UK being attributed to asylum seekers; it also called the guide "disturbing," and featured the term "asylum shame" in its headline.
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Beliefs that are 'incompatible with Western society' — and more
Meanwhile, opposition politicians in Britain also took aim at the guide, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp from the Conservatives calling for the blanket deportation of deviant asylum seekers instead of focusing on behavior changes.
"Instead of trying to train these mainly young, male illegal immigrants to behave in a civilized way towards women, they should be deported," Philp commented.
He also said that certain common approaches in countries of origin -- in particular attitudes towards women -- "can be completely incompatible with Western society."
One of the more unusual comments on the sexual behavior of asylum seekers in Britain came from Conservative Party MP Edwina Currie, who suggested that opening a brothel near asylum centers might be a constructive way to address such issues.
The parliamentarian, who is known for having had a four-year affair with former Prime Minister John Major, later said that while she wouldn't take back the remark, it was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
Reform UK spokesman Zia Yusuf went even further and then referred to the document as "a disgrace," suggesting that the government under the Labour Party had "just published a handy guide for illegal migrants on how not to be a rapist, not to be a paedophile, how not to beat women and how to leave babies alone."
The far-right Reform UK party further stated that the publication of the document implied that the government understood "that they are a menace," referring to asylum seekers.
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Crime and statistics
There have been a number of high-profile sexual assault cases in the UK involving immigrants in recent years.
In many of those reports, these have been conflated with irregular migration, with more and more studies being launched across Europe examining any potential link between migration and a rise in sexually motivated crimes — with varying results.
A study by the Migration Observatory at Oxford University found that while foreign nationals, broadly speaking, were indeed disproportionally represented in various crime statistics, this appeared to be driven by a lack of economic opportunity and migrant trauma.
It stressed that the commonly cited notion that most migrants are predominantly young and male, and therefore more likely per se to engage in crime, was not shown in their research.
The research also explained that reporting on crimes perpetrated by migrants in the news often inflates the role and proportion that immigrants actually play in crime statistics, often spurred by racism, while saying that a more nuanced attitude would help understand the phenomenon better.
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Forensic psychiatrist Frank Urbaniok meanwhile also found that criminal behavior among migrants has to be treated in a more nuanced manner.
In August 2025, he told the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he had found that some cultures and countries of origin are "over-represented" in crime statistics due to the importance they place on perceptions of masculinity and strength.
"In other words, the use of violence to achieve goals is socially legitimized much more strongly in some societies," he explained, adding that such culturally legitimized forms of violence can be passed down even to the second or third generation of individuals with a history of migration, and that economic factors also played a role in explaining any correlation between crime statistics and migration.