Female asylum seekers are reporting rapes and sexual assaults by British men, with many stating they are too fearful to pursue criminal prosecutions. Some women have spoken to the Guardian about their experiences.
One woman, who spent two years in an asylum hotel, reported being verbally and physically harassed by a staff member, including unwanted touching and repeated requests for sex via text messages. She reported him to hotel staff and was moved to another hotel.
Another woman, recently arrived from Iran, said she was raped by a security guard at her Home Office-placed hotel. She reported the attack to hotel staff but was too scared to make a statement to the police, fearing it could jeopardise her asylum claim. She was subsequently moved to a different hotel.
A lesbian asylum seeker from Uganda reported being forced to have sex with a private immigration lawyer as payment for legal services, as she could not afford to pay him. All three women were later granted refugee status.
The British Red Cross told a Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into asylum accommodation that a lack of safeguarding had placed "extraordinary strain" on their frontline refugee support teams. They cited examples of sexual harassment and assault in hotels, including a staff member attempting to enter a woman's room late at night.
Women for Refugee Women stated that using violence against women and girls to demonise people seeking safety is a dangerous distraction, and that such violence is a systemic problem. Rape Crisis England & Wales expressed serious concerns about the lack of appropriate safeguards for women seeking asylum, noting their particular vulnerability to sexual abuse and exploitation.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government is committed to halving violence against women and girls, which includes those seeking asylum. Home Office sources referred to published guidance for asylum accommodation regarding such issues, which includes assessing immediate risk and considering support services and protective measures.