David Blunkett: Under fire

Asylum reforms under home secretary David Blunkett have had a "devastating impact" on the welfare of refugees, a report has concluded.

Published by the Refugee Council, the survey of 132 organisations showed large numbers of "very vulnerable" asylum seekers sleeping rough or staying in the overcrowded homes of refugees already settled in the UK.

Of those questioned, 74 per cent reported that clients had been forced to sleep rough while two thirds claimed to have seen clients with health problems as a result of their situation.

Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act states that welfare payments must be denied to asylum seekers who fail to register their claims as soon as they arrive in the country.

"There are numerous valid reasons refugees might not seek asylum straight away - in fact, the more trauma someone has suffered, the harder they may find it to seek help and follow the proper procedure," said Refugee Council chief executive Maeve Sherlock.

"As our report clearly demonstrates, this law causes nothing but harm and should be repealed."

Although a concession was made allowing 72 hours to apply instead of 24, the way that claims are assessed means that many are still being turned down.

Some 74 per cent of organisations reported seeing clients whose applications had been denied despite the fact that they had been lodged within a few days of arrival.

"Even with the concession, people are being refused support because their account of their arrival is not being believed," added Sherlock.

"Every day, we see clients in our offices who are suffering desperately at the hands of this piece of legislation.

"As this report reveals, many more approach their communities for help, leaving small, under-funded organisations to foot the bill for services that should be provided by the state.

"This is an intolerable burden, and one that organisations say is unsustainable in the long term."