Parliamentary Aids and refugees' group chairman Neil Gerrard

Ministers must back policies for testing new asylum seekers entering Britain for HIV and Aids to ensure the most effective access to treatment, two groups of MPs argue today.

However the all party parliamentary groups on Aids and refugees stress that the policy should not be used as a measure for keeping refugees out of Britain.

During their investigation, the committees found a lack of communication on the issue between the Home Office, the National Asylum Support Services and social services.

They concluded that this not only increases the risk of infection, but harms the physical and mental health of those already with a positive HIV status as they can become more ill or develop resistances to treatment.

Detainment policies cannot be used by the government without ensuring that suitable treatment can be made available.

The report comes after evidence hearings with HIV specialists, GPs, national Aids groups and HIV positive immigrants themselves, during which MPs were warned that NHS services were overstretched, while asylum services consistently disregarded the advice of experts.

"We feel that the current government position on asylum seekers and migrants with HIV has largely developed in response to reports based on fear and stigma rather than factual evidence," said the chairman of both committees, Labour MP Neil Gerrard.

Campaigners said the report highlighted inadequacies in government policy.

"Years of chronic underfunding for sexual health services, and the Government's current policy of sending asylum seekers, with no choice, to accommodation away from London and the south east, are the root causes of concern about HIV and immigration," Leigh Daynes of Refugee Action said.

"The report's findings underline the urgent need to ensure that HIV positive people get consistent quality care to protect individual and public health."

"Those asylum seekers who are HIV positive should have the choice not to be dispersed if their health and treatment would be jeopardised."

Martin Kirk of the Terrence Higgins Trust added that the problems were rooted in an uncoordinated policy approach.

"Government departments have been shooting each other in the foot with conflicting policies around HIV and asylum," he said.

"The result is damaging the people caught in the crossfire, and does nothing to protect public health.

"This report encourages joined-up thinking which is based on the facts, not knee-jerk reactions to the unworkable demands of the anti-immigration lobby."