A Labour council has launched an online ‘myth-buster’ urging people not to blame asylum seekers for violence against women.
In a post on social media, Liverpool City Council warned against associating foreign cultures with attacks on women and girls – adding there is ‘no causal link between asylum seeker populations and increased levels of VAWG’.
It then urges residents to ‘know the facts’, providing a link to a page on its website addressing the ‘most common myths’ and the truth about them.
Common misconceptions include asylum seekers being treated better than the British homeless, and them being responsible for ‘rising violence against women and girls’, according to the council.
The advice comes amid growing concerns across the UK surrounding sex crimes committed by foreign nationals, including taxpayer-funded hotel migrants.
Police made 8,500 arrests of foreign nationals for sexual offences including rape in 2024 and start of 2025, figures showed, although this referred to all non-British citizens not just asylum seekers.
Concerns about the level of violence towards women and girls by asylum seekers has been growing since Ethiopian migrant Hadush Kebatu sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, just eight days after arriving in the UK last year.
He was then mistakenly released from prison, prompting a three-day hunt before his arrest in Finsbury Park, north London.
People thought to be migrants onboard a small boat during an attempt to cross the Channel on March 3
Liverpool City Council launched a ‘myth-buster’ shutting down various concerns about asylum seekers in the UK
In other sections of the myth-buster, available on their website, the council addresses concerns about people ‘pretending to be refugees to get free stuff’.
‘Every asylum claim is assessed carefully by the Home Office. Most people seeking asylum are fleeing war, torture or persecution,’ the council states.
‘They want safety, dignity and a chance to rebuild their lives.’
In another section, acknowledging the claim that migrants are given ‘better treatment than our homeless’, the council responds: ‘Asylum seekers are housed due to the government’s legal obligation to do so.
‘Homelessness is a separate and equally urgent issue. One crisis should not be used to dismiss the other.’
A fourth section, titled ‘They’re living in luxury hotels at our expense’, states that hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers are ‘budget hotels or repurposed buildings’.
‘The rooms are small, often shared, with no kitchens and very little privacy. People seeking asylum have no choice over where the Home Office places them,’ the council adds.
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: ‘Protecting women and girls remains a priority. We continue to work closely with partners, including Merseyside Police and specialist support services, to prevent abuse, support victims and ensure perpetrators are held to account.’
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Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu (pictured) sparked national outrage when he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping – just eight days after arriving in the UK last year
They added: ‘We are committed to ensuring that all residents feel safe, and that public conversations about community safety are grounded in accurate, evidence-led information.
‘The information shared in our recent communications draws on national data, including from the Office for National Statistics, alongside local policing insight and established research. This evidence consistently shows that violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a widespread issue across all communities and backgrounds.
‘National data indicates that the majority of violence against women and girls is committed by someone known to the victim, such as a partner, ex-partner or acquaintance, rather than by strangers. This is reflected locally by Merseyside Police, which has highlighted that most sexual offences are carried out by individuals known to the victim.
‘Research from organisations including the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford has found no evidence of a causal link between the presence of asylum seekers and an increase in violent crime.
‘Our myth-busting content forms part of a broader commitment to providing clear, factual information and supporting informed public understanding. It addresses unverified claims that can create fear, undermine trust and distract from the work needed to prevent violence and support survivors.’
