Labour council ‘mythbuster’ says don’t blame migrants for violence | UK | News

The Labor council funded a “myth buster” page telling residents not to blame asylum seekers for rising levels of violence against women and girls.

Liverpool City Council published an image on social media with the slogan “DON’T GET WRONG, INFORM” and the title “Some people say asylum seekers are responsible for the increasing violence against women and girls.”

According to the statement, the official said the “fact” was that the research showed “there is no causal link between the refugee population and increasing levels of VAWG (violence against women and girls).”

Residents were then directed to a link to a page titled “Setting the Record Straight.”

Liverpool City Council later said: “Public conversations about the safety of women and girls are increasingly linked to immigration, but these conversations are not always well informed.”

Under pop-up headings detailing the “most common Myths and Facts”, “asylum seekers are responsible for the increase in violence against women and girls”, the “Fact” council responds: “Research and available data suggest there is no causal link between the refugee population and increasing levels of violence against women.

“VAWG is a systemic problem perpetrated by men and occurs in all communities and environments. Our focus is on preventing all forms of violence, holding all perpetrators to account, and supporting all victims, regardless of their background.”

A link to research and data is not provided in the pop-up response to support the Council’s position.

Police in England and Wales arrested around 8,500 foreign nationals for sexual offenses, including rape, in 2024 and into the start of 2025. In 2024, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures showed that more than a quarter (26%) of convictions for sexual assaults against women were by foreign nationals.

An asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a small boat earlier this month has been found guilty of raping a woman in a London hostel. Yousif Al-Maliki, 30, who was staying at the Astor Hostel in South Kensington, carried out the attack on a woman he had just met on August 1 last year.

In December last year, two 17-year-old asylum seekers were convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl at Leamington Spa in Warks. Israr Niazal and Jan Jahanzeb admitted the rape and were sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on 8 December. Jahanzeb was detained for 10 years and eight months, and Niazal for nine years and 10 months.

During a debate on the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy in the House of Commons on Monday (9 February), Katie Lam, Conservative MP for the Weald of Kent, asked Jess Phillips, Secretary of State for Protection and Violence Against Women and Girls, about the possible link between mass immigration and the rise in violence against women and girls.

She said: “When the violence against women and girls strategy was announced, I asked the Minister for Protection whether he had considered the impact of mass migration on the safety of women and girls and why this was not mentioned.

“From his answer at the time, I wasn’t sure what the answer was. Could he please explain whether the Government will specifically address this issue when implementing the strategy? If not, why not?”

Ms Phillips, Labor MP for Yardley, said there was “no reliable data” on the issue. He said: “I will say this to the Shadow Minister and everyone: I don’t care who you are, where you come from; if you commit violence against women in our country, we will come for you.

“There is no tool in the Home Office that I can use to obtain reliable data on this issue. So, unlike the previous government, we will start collecting data under this Government.”