A Home Office whistleblower has claimed that the UK government department urged staff to celebrate “World Hijab Day” while claiming that the Islamic headdress is a “personal choice”, despite its own refugee guidance stating that many women face “persecution” for refusing to wear the religious garb and are therefore entitled to asylum status in Britain.
An email reportedly sent to civil servants from the Home Office’s Islamic Network (HOIN), a group of Muslim volunteers among the department’s staff, extolled the virtuous aspects of the Islamic Hijab, claiming that it was “brought to women as a way of protection” and that it was not the case that men force women into wearing the headdress but rather that “many Muslim women choose to wear the hijab for various reasons, and mainly to grow closer to their faith and Allah.”
While the email did meekly acknowledge that “not all experiences have been positive” it claimed, according to The Telegraph, that the hijab was “a personal choice and being a Muslim means constantly striving to strengthen your faith (Iman). Different women are at different stages of their spiritual journey.”
They went on to urge staff to conduct “workshops or training sessions to raise awareness about the hijab, its significance, and dispel misconceptions”, to“foster an open and respectful workplace culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their needs” and develop “an inclusive and respectful environment”.
The Home Office staffer who disclosed the email went on to reveal that civil servants were even encouraged to celebrate “World Hijab Day”, even though the Home Office itself classifies the forceable “compliance with religious codes or dress” amounted to “persecution” that could be used by women to claim asylum in the UK.
The whistleblower claimed to be “terrified” that one of the asylum cases they handle will “end up in the news”, in reference to the acid attack suspected to have been carried out in Clapham by Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, who was granted asylum after being initially rejected twice.
“There has been no internal communication about the recent acid attack case. Nothing. Not even an email telling us that they are looking into how it could have been allowed to happen,” the civil servant wrote.
“Instead we are bombarded with emails that celebrate things like “World Hijab Day’’ at the same time as I deal with cases of women claiming they cannot go back to Iran otherwise they will be forced into wearing these items.”
The Home Office staffer went on to claim that three out of four asylum claims are illegitimate and that migrants are often “coached” to enhance their likelihood of being granted the right to remain in the UK, such as claiming to have “converted” to Christianity or falsely asserting to be gay and therefore are in fear of persecution in their home country.
“Not every asylum seeker starts off knowing how to game the system, however, it has become clear to me that word spreads and trends emerge regarding how to game their applications,” the whistleblower wrote.
They said that due to the political push to clear the large backlog of asylum cases — exacerbated by the waves of illegals crossing the English Channel — there has been pressure on caseworkers to “cut corners” and to “err on the side of accepting people”. The Home Office civil servant said that while it takes “less than half an hour” to accept an asylum claim, yet on the other hand, it takes “around a day” to write up the justification and evidence for refusing the claim.
“This job is incredibly stressful and I worry that people’s safety is being put at risk. Some applicants will arrive with criminal convictions, including sexual offences, but this does not automatically disbar them from entry,” they said, continuing: “The Home Office ethos and ‘values’ are all around safeguarding asylum seekers and protecting their welfare. My department is failing in its first mission and priority, to protect the British public.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Home Office treats its staff equally and fairly. It is a place where staff can be themselves at work and share their experiences.
“We do not recognise these claims on the processing of asylum claims. There are thorough processes in place to ensure all claims are decided without bias, and any staff with concerns should raise them through departmental processes.”