Former Conservative MP Miriam Cates has argued that stronger action must be taken against immigration from cultures that do not respect the rights of women and leave them exposed to sexual crimes.
Cates, an evangelical Christian, made her intervention following news that the government is to issue pamphlets to asylum seekers informing them that sex without the consent of both parties is illegal in Britain.
The pamphlet appears to have been issued as a result of widely reported rapes and sex attacks carried out by asylum seekers and illegal immigrants against British women and girls.
Cates, writing for Conservative Home, argued that the creation of the pamphlet “proves that authorities know that some men from some countries and cultures simply have no understanding of women’s rights or sexual consent”.
Pointing to Afghanistan, where some of the perpetrators have come from, Cates said the country had “no legal concept of consent” and that indeed this has even been used as a defence in rape cases involving Afghan men in Britain, who effectively claim ignorance of the law.
Cates argued that even though not every individual from such a culture may behave in this way, the government has a duty to look at the overall picture, for the good of the nation.
“When it comes to border control, the state can and must make assumptions based on known facts about countries, cultures and groups," she said.
While acknowledging compassion for those fleeing desperate situations, Cates argued that the first duty of the British government is to the British people and their safety.
“The Prime Minister is not responsible for the situation in Eritrea or Somalia; he is responsible for preventing the brutal rapes of British women and girls by men who could have been refused entry to our country," she said.
She added, “The failure to understand the importance of culture, and the conflation of compassion with responsibility are common mistakes of the liberal left.”
Cates called upon Prime Minister Andy Burnham to restore “hope” to the British people by “restoring” Britain’s borders.
The nine-page booklet, called "Understanding behaviours and expectations in the UK: A guide for asylum seekers", tells asylum seekers not to make sexual remarks about someone, whistle at them or make "kissing sounds" towards them. They should also not follow them or "block their path". It also explains that in the UK, consent means both people saying 'yes' to sex.
Responding to its publication, Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "Instead of trying to train these mainly young, male illegal immigrants to behave in a civilised way towards women, they should be deported."
Katie Lam MP said, "The Home Office's new 'behaviour guide' tells asylum seekers that rape is a crime, that it's wrong to have sex with children, and that it's illegal to beat women. But if people don't already know those things, they shouldn't be allowed to come here in the first place."
