Asylum: Sexual Offences

The Home Office estimates that the cost of locating, collating and extracting the information you have requested on individuals denied refugee status since 2023 because of them being convicted of a sexual offence with a notification requirement would exceed the appropriate limit.

We have a proud history of providing protection to those who need it; however, in line with the Refugee Convention, we will deny the benefits of protection status to those who commit particularly serious crimes and are a danger to the community, or those who are a threat to national security.

A ‘particularly serious crime’ is defined as being convicted by a final judgment and sentenced to a period of imprisonment of at least 12 months.

Under a measure introduced by the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement (the ‘sex offender register’) in Schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 are also assumed to be ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention, thereby allowing the UK to exclude those individuals from being granted asylum protections in the UK. The measure applies to convictions received on or after 2 February 2026.

We recognise the devastating impact of sexual violence on victims and our communities and are absolutely committed to tackling sexual offences, as well as halving violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade.