Leading women tell far right to stop linking sexual violence to refugees

Prominent women including MPs and cultural figures have signed a letter criticising rightwing attempts to link sexual violence in Britain to asylum seekers.

- Ben Quinn

Signatories include the musicians Paloma Faith, Charlotte Church and Anoushka Shankar as well as Labour, Green and independent MPs including Kim Johnson, Ellie Chowns and Diane Abbott.

"We reject the far right's racist lies about 'protecting' women and girls. They are not defenders of women - they exploit violence against women to fuel hate and division," the open letter says.

The statement, from a group calling itself Women Against the Far Right, follows a surge in protests outside asylum accommodation and far-right attempts to exploit cases of alleged sexual crimes involving asylum seekers.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has sought to link government immigration policies to a rise in sexual offences. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, who joined protesters outside asylum accommodation in Epping, Essex, said last month that asylum seekers with "medieval attitudes" coming to Britain meant he was afraid for the safety of his three young daughters.