Asylum views stirred

Lawyers have expressed mixed feelings about the government's latest overhaul of the asylum system.There was support for Home Secretary David Blunkett's announcement that food and clothing vouchers issued to asylum seekers were to be phased out, but concern that plans to place refugees in 'reception centres' while their applications are considered would hinder integration.'I think the removal of the voucher scheme, which dictated what asylum seekers could buy, is a positive move as it removes the stigmatisation,' said Jawaid Luqmani, treasurer of the Immigration Lawyers Practitioners Association and a partner at London firm Luqmani Thompson.

'However, if the quid pro quo is that they are all stuck in a boot camp and rarely venture into public - this could be just as bad.'Andrew Holroyd, a member of the Law Society's immigration law committee and partner at Liverpool firm Jackson & Canter, said it was a 'brave, but necessary decision' to end the voucher scheme and that he supported the introduction of identity cards for asylum seekers.He also voiced support for reception centres, as long as they weren't 'buried away from society'.Law Society President David McIntosh said he understood the need to speed up the process, but warned it was 'vital that there is access to good-quality legal advice to ensure the system is compatible with the interests of fairness and justice'.

Andrew Towler