Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that women and girls living near asylum accommodation are adequately protected from violence, sexual offences and harassment.

Protecting women and girls from violence, sexual offences and harassment is a fundamental responsibility of government. Anyone who commits these crimes, regardless of nationality or immigration status, must face the full force of the law.

Asylum seekers and other foreign nationals who offend are subject to the same criminal justice consequences as anyone else. Where individuals pose a threat to public safety, we will seek to remove them. As part of the Home Office operating procedures, asylum seekers are subject to ongoing risk assessment. Where necessary, our Public Protection & Safeguarding Command engages with police, local authorities and accommodation providers to manage any identified risks and ensure the community is adequately safeguarded.

The Home Office is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, by preventing offending, pursuing perpetrators and protecting victims.