Nearly three-quarters of Britons would ban asylum seekers from countries where women are not safe or treated equally, according to a poll released in August 2026.

Seven in ten respondents, 73 percent, stated they would vote against allowing men to enter the United Kingdom from countries where rape, child abuse, and domestic violence are widespread, and where women lack equal rights. Only 13 percent indicated they would not vote against such asylum claims.

Furthermore, two-thirds of those surveyed believe that immigration from countries with fewer legal or social rights for women has contributed to an increase in reported sexual offenses. About 40 percent of this group described the contribution as significant.

The poll, conducted by Whitestone Insight and commissioned by the Women's Policy Centre, also found that older voters expressed stronger support for a ban. More than 85 percent of individuals over 65 said they would 'probably' or 'definitely' support such a measure. Among younger demographics, 58 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 25 to 34-year-olds expressed similar sentiments.

Concerns about immigration fueling sex attacks were most pronounced among older respondents, with 77 percent of those over 65 expressing this view, compared to 58 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds.

Recent events have reportedly influenced public opinion. In April 2026, two asylum seekers, Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, from Egypt, and Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, from Iran, were convicted of repeatedly raping a woman on Brighton beach. They had arrived in the UK via a small boat in June of the previous year.

In a separate case, Afghan asylum seeker Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was found guilty in February 2026 of abducting, raping, and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton. He had arrived in the UK from France in March 2025. Mulakhil was convicted of rape, abduction, sexual assault, and taking an indecent video of the girl.

Paola Diana, Founder and Executive Chair of the Women’s Policy Centre, commented on the poll results, stating, "These results are unambiguous. Well over seven in ten British adults are simply not willing to open our borders to men from countries where rape, child abuse and domestic violence are endemic, and where women are treated as second-class citizens."

Police recorded 209,079 sexual offenses in England and Wales for the year ending March 2025, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. Whitestone Insight surveyed 2,093 UK adults online between August 21 and August 23, 2026.