Several female asylum seekers in the UK claimed they have experienced rape or sexual assault by British men, but a large number are reluctant to report these crimes to the police or pursue legal action because they are frightened, vulnerable, or worried about the impact on their immigration status, it has been reported.

The women said their experiences often receive little public attention, reports Guardian. During recent protests against asylum seekers in Dover and Portsmouth, far-right activist Danny Tommo and his supporters emphasised unproven claims that asylum seekers are responsible for widespread sexual violence.

While a small number of asylum seekers have been convicted of serious sexual offences and these cases have received significant media coverage, there is no complete public data showing the overall level of crime committed by asylum seekers.

One woman, who spent two years in an asylum hotel after fleeing religious persecution and domestic violence, said she was repeatedly verbally and physically harassed by a staff member at the hotel she was accommodated in, the publication reported.

She told the Guardian: “It was awful. He told me he wanted to have sex with me.”

In another reported incident, a woman who had recently arrived in the UK from Iran and was staying in a hotel arranged by the Home Office near Heathrow Airport said that she was raped by a security guard working at the hotel.

The woman had been placed there as part of the asylum accommodation system after arriving in the country. She said: “It was very terrifying. I didn’t know what to do. I reported the attack to the hotel staff and I was asked if I wanted to make a statement to the police. I did not know if the police here would be like the police in Iran, so I was too scared to do anything.

“I was also worried that if I reported the rape it would make it more likely that my asylum claim would be refused.”

A spokesperson from Women for Refugee Women, which supports women in the asylum system, said: “The weaponisation of violence against women and girls by far-right groups does nothing to make women safer. It distorts the reality of abuse, creates barriers to support and justice for survivors, and allows perpetrators to hide behind racist stereotypes instead of being held accountable.

“Using violence against women and girls to demonise people seeking safety here is a dangerous distraction. This violence is a systemic problem, not one confined to any nationality or immigration status, and it must urgently be treated as one.”

Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis England & Wales said: “We remain seriously concerned about a lack of appropriate safeguards in place to protect women seeking asylum in the UK from sexual violence, abuse and exploitation. This cohort of women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. Many have limited or no information about their rights at all, let alone meaningful avenues through which to enforce them.

“Our government has committed to halving violence against women and girls in a decade; it is vital that this includes those seeking asylum and living within the asylum complex.”