Liverpool City Council has published an online fact-checking page urging residents not to attribute violence against women and girls to asylum seekers, amid growing national debate over sex crimes committed by foreign nationals in the UK.
The council posted on social media directing residents to a dedicated section of its website addressing what it describes as common misconceptions about asylum seekers. Among the claims it seeks to counter are that asylum seekers receive preferential treatment over the British homeless, that they are responsible for rising levels of violence against women and girls, and that people are falsely claiming asylum to obtain free accommodation and services.
On the question of violence against women, the council states there is “no causal link between asylum seeker populations and increased levels of VAWG,” citing national data from the Office for National Statistics and research from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. It also notes that Merseyside Police data shows most sexual offences locally are committed by individuals known to the victim rather than strangers.
Regarding accommodation, the council pushes back on claims that asylum seekers are housed in luxury at public expense, stating that the properties used are “budget hotels or repurposed buildings” with small, often shared rooms, no kitchen facilities and limited privacy.
A council spokesperson said the myth-busting content was intended to ensure “public conversations about community safety are grounded in accurate, evidence-led information,” adding that protecting women and girls remained a priority and that the authority continued to work closely with Merseyside Police and specialist support services.
The publication comes against a backdrop of heightened public concern over sexual offences involving foreign nationals. Police recorded 8,500 arrests of foreign nationals for sexual offences including rape in 2024 and the early part of 2025, though that figure covers all non-British citizens rather than asylum seekers specifically. Concern has also been amplified by individual cases, including that of Ethiopian migrant Hadush Kebatu, who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping shortly after arriving in the UK, and who was subsequently mistakenly released from prison before being rearrested in north London and deported.
The council said its approach was part of a broader commitment to providing factual information and supporting informed public understanding of community safety issues.
