Female asylum seekers report being abused (Image: Getty)

Several female asylum seekers in the UK claimed they have experienced rape or sexual assault by British men, but a large number are reluctant to report these crimes to the police or pursue legal action because they are frightened, vulnerable, or worried about the impact on their immigration status, it has been reported.

The women said their experiences often receive little public attention, reports Guardian. During recent protests against asylum seekers in Dover and Portsmouth, far-right activist Danny Tommo and his supporters emphasised unproven claims that asylum seekers are responsible for widespread sexual violence.

While a small number of asylum seekers have been convicted of serious sexual offences and these cases have received significant media coverage, there is no complete public data showing the overall level of crime committed by asylum seekers.

One woman, who spent two years in an asylum hotel after fleeing religious persecution and domestic violence, said she was repeatedly verbally and physically harassed by a staff member at the hotel she was accommodated in, the publication reported.

She told the Guardian: “It was awful. He told me he wanted to have sex with me.”

In another reported incident, a woman who had recently arrived in the UK from Iran and was staying in a hotel arranged by the Home Office near Heathrow Airport said that she was raped by a security guard working at the hotel.

The woman had been placed there as part of the asylum accommodation system after arriving in the country. She said: “It was very terrifying. I didn’t know what to do. I reported the attack to the hotel staff and I was asked if I wanted to make a statement to the police. I did not know if the police here would be like the police in Iran, so I was too scared to do anything.

“I was also worried that if I reported the rape it would make it more likely that my asylum claim would be refused.”

A spokesperson from Women for Refugee Women, which supports women in the asylum system, said: “The weaponisation of violence against women and girls by far-right groups does nothing to make women safer. It distorts the reality of abuse, creates barriers to support and justice for survivors, and allows perpetrators to hide behind racist stereotypes instead of being held accountable.

“Using violence against women and girls to demonise people seeking safety here is a dangerous distraction. This violence is a systemic problem, not one confined to any nationality or immigration status, and it must urgently be treated as one.”

Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis England & Wales said: “We remain seriously concerned about a lack of appropriate safeguards in place to protect women seeking asylum in the UK from sexual violence, abuse and exploitation. This cohort of women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. Many have limited or no information about their rights at all, let alone meaningful avenues through which to enforce them.

“Our government has committed to halving violence against women and girls in a decade; it is vital that this includes those seeking asylum and living within the asylum complex.”

Horror as Female Asylum Seekers Report Being Sexually Assaulted by British Men

Female asylum seekers in Britain have described allegations of rape, sexual assault and harassment by British men, including people working in asylum accommodation and, in one case, an immigration lawyer.

The accounts have emerged amid an increasingly heated political debate over asylum and immigration, in which sexual violence has frequently been invoked by opposing sides.

But the experiences described by the women point to a different and less politically convenient problem: some women seeking protection in Britain say they themselves have faced sexual abuse after arriving in the country.

A recent investigation by The Guardian reported testimony from several women who said they had been assaulted or sexually exploited by British men. The women described being frightened about reporting the alleged offences because of concerns about authorities, possible retaliation or the potential impact on their asylum cases.

The allegations also come against the backdrop of previous investigations and reports documenting serious safeguarding concerns within Home Office asylum accommodation.

Women say they were afraid to report attacks

One woman interviewed by The Guardian said she had spent two years in an asylum hotel after fleeing religious persecution and domestic violence.

She alleged that a male member of hotel staff repeatedly harassed her, initially through unwanted physical contact and later through repeated requests for sex.

According to her account, the man obtained her telephone number from the hotel’s database and began contacting her on his personal phone.

She eventually reported the behaviour to hotel staff and was transferred to another hotel.

The allegation illustrates one of the particular vulnerabilities faced by women living in accommodation where staff have access to personal information and where residents may depend on contractors for essential services.

Another woman, who had arrived in Britain from Iran, said she was raped by a security guard at a hotel where she had been accommodated.

She told the newspaper that she reported the alleged attack to hotel staff but was too frightened to make a statement to police.

Her fear was partly linked to her previous experience with authorities in Iran, but she also said she worried that reporting the allegation could somehow damage her asylum claim.

She was subsequently moved to another hotel and said she did not know what happened to the alleged perpetrator.

These are allegations by individual women and should not be treated as proof that every asylum accommodation facility is unsafe or that all staff behave improperly.

But they raise questions about whether vulnerable residents understand how to report abuse and whether safeguarding arrangements are sufficiently independent and accessible.

An alleged abuse of legal power

A third case described in the investigation involved a lesbian asylum seeker from Uganda.

The woman said she was unable to obtain legal aid representation for her immigration case.

She eventually found a private immigration lawyer but said she could not afford his fees.

According to her allegation, the lawyer demanded sex as payment for representing her.

She described feeling unable to refuse because she believed she had no other way of securing legal assistance.

The woman was subsequently granted refugee status.

The allegation is particularly serious because lawyers and legal representatives occupy positions of trust and can hold considerable influence over vulnerable people navigating an unfamiliar immigration system.

As with the other cases, the account is an allegation rather than a criminal conviction. It nevertheless highlights the potential for exploitation when people facing immigration uncertainty are dependent on professionals for advice and representation.

Safeguarding concerns are not new

The latest allegations did not emerge in isolation.

Rape Crisis England & Wales and Imkaan published a report in November 2024 examining sexual violence and abuse experienced by women and children in asylum accommodation.

The organisations reported that women did not feel safe in Home Office-provided accommodation and raised concerns about women and girls being required to share spaces, including bedrooms, with strangers.

An earlier investigation published by The Observer in March 2025 also documented allegations of sexual assault and harassment involving women and girls housed in mixed-sex Home Office accommodation.

That investigation included allegations involving other asylum seekers as well as hotel staff.

The issue, therefore, is not simply about the latest individual accounts.

There is a longer-running debate about whether the accommodation system adequately recognises the particular needs of women who may already have experienced sexual violence, domestic abuse, trafficking or persecution before reaching Britain.

The British Red Cross raised concerns

Evidence given to a parliamentary inquiry has also highlighted safeguarding problems.

According to The Guardian, the British Red Cross told a Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry that inadequate safeguarding in asylum accommodation had placed considerable pressure on frontline refugee-support teams.

Among the examples cited was an incident in which a member of hotel staff allegedly attempted to use a key card to enter a woman’s room late at night while she was bathing.

The organisation also referred to what it described as a “pervasive culture of sexual harassment” at one hotel, including allegations of sexual assault.

Such evidence raises a broader question about the structure of asylum accommodation.

Hotels are not necessarily designed to function as long-term residential environments for vulnerable people who may have experienced trauma.

At the same time, residents may have limited knowledge of British law, limited English, little money and uncertainty about their immigration status.

Those factors can make it more difficult to challenge inappropriate behaviour.

Why some women remain silent

Reporting sexual violence can be difficult for anyone.

For women seeking asylum, there can be additional barriers.

Some may have previously experienced persecution or abuse by state authorities in their countries of origin. Others may fear that contacting police or other officials could negatively affect their immigration cases.

Language barriers, lack of knowledge about British institutions and dependence on accommodation providers can create further obstacles.

The latest investigation found that at least some women feared reporting alleged sexual violence because they were uncertain about what would happen afterwards.

That is particularly significant because an effective safeguarding system depends not only on having rules but also on ensuring that vulnerable people know how to use them.

The Home Office has said its accommodation contracts contain safeguarding requirements.

Its guidance requires concerns involving alleged abuse to be assessed, including immediate risks to victims and others, the support that may be required and potential protective measures.

The existence of guidance, however, does not by itself demonstrate that every accommodation provider consistently applies it.

The political debate over asylum and sexual violence

The allegations have emerged during an especially charged political debate.

In recent anti-immigration demonstrations, including protests in Dover and Portsmouth, far-right activists have repeatedly highlighted claims that asylum seekers are responsible for sexual violence against British women.

Some individual asylum seekers have indeed been convicted of serious sexual offences.

However, there is no comprehensive published dataset establishing the overall rate of sexual or other crime committed by asylum seekers as a group. The Guardian noted that a small number of convictions have received extensive media coverage but that there is no complete public data showing the overall level of offending by asylum seekers.

That distinction matters.

Individual criminal cases should be investigated and prosecuted according to the evidence.

But individual convictions cannot automatically establish the behaviour of an entire population.

Equally, the existence of political controversy should not obscure allegations made by asylum-seeking women who say they themselves were victims of sexual violence.

Women’s organisations warn against politicising abuse

Women for Refugee Women has argued that using violence against women as a political weapon against migrants risks making vulnerable women less visible.

The organisation said that portraying sexual violence as a problem belonging to one nationality or immigration category could create additional barriers for survivors seeking help.

Rape Crisis England & Wales has similarly warned that women seeking asylum are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation and that appropriate safeguards are needed within the asylum system.

The central issue raised by these organisations is therefore not whether sexual violence occurs among one particular population.

It is whether every woman, regardless of immigration status, has meaningful access to protection, support and justice.

The importance of separating evidence from political claims

The latest reports demonstrate why the issue requires careful handling.

There are documented allegations from individual asylum-seeking women.

There are previous reports identifying safeguarding problems in asylum accommodation.

There are also individual cases in which asylum seekers have been convicted of serious sexual offences.

But these different facts cannot simply be combined into one sweeping claim about migrants, British men or asylum accommodation as a whole.

Sexual violence is a crime regardless of the nationality or immigration status of either the alleged victim or alleged offender.

The appropriate response to an allegation is investigation, protection for the alleged victim and, where evidence supports it, prosecution.

The same principle applies whether the alleged perpetrator is a hotel employee, security guard, lawyer, asylum seeker or any other member of the public.

What the Government faces

The Government therefore faces a dual challenge.

It must maintain an asylum system capable of processing claims and providing accommodation while also ensuring that vulnerable residents are protected from exploitation and abuse.

That becomes especially important as ministers attempt to move away from hotel accommodation and use alternative sites, including former military facilities.

Larger accommodation centres may offer opportunities for dedicated safeguarding, healthcare and support services.

But the Piddington controversy and other asylum accommodation disputes demonstrate that simply changing the location of accommodation does not resolve questions about how vulnerable residents are protected.

Clear reporting mechanisms, properly trained staff, independent oversight and rapid responses to allegations remain essential.

Women also need confidence that reporting abuse will not jeopardise their immigration cases.

A safeguarding issue rather than a political slogan

The allegations made by female asylum seekers are disturbing precisely because many of these women arrived in Britain seeking protection.

Some had already experienced persecution, domestic violence or threats because of their religion or sexual orientation.

Their accounts suggest that vulnerability can continue after arrival.

That should not be turned into an argument that all British men are dangerous, just as individual crimes committed by asylum seekers should not be used to characterise every person seeking asylum.

The more useful question is whether Britain’s asylum system is doing enough to protect people who are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation.