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Asylum seeker and refugee campaigners have criticised the government's immigration and asylum white paper for focusing on the removal of asylum seekers rather than assisting them.

Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain, published by the Home Office last week, proposes: "A radical new system of induction, accommodation, reporting and removal centres to secure a seamless asylum process."

It also suggests a 40 per cent increase in secure removals centre places to 4,000 by next spring, creating an immigration hotline for the public to report immigration offences, and setting tighter time limits on appeals.

Refugee Council chief executive Nick Hardwick, also speaking on behalf of Oxfam and Amnesty International UK, said the white paper was "in danger of losing the plot" over why the UK signed up to the Refugee Convention.

He said: "The point is not to design a system around how to remove rejected asylum seekers. The point is to design a system that protects people who have been persecuted, or fear persecution."

Hardwick added that the Refugee Council was disappointed that bail safeguards, which were introduced by the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 but never implemented, had been abandoned. "This represents a kick in the teeth to commitments made in the past," he said.

Refugee Action chief executive Sandy Buchan said: "Restricting the right of appeal by speeding up the asylum process may be very unfair as it will limit access to judicial review."

He added that creating an immigration hotline was a "dangerous step" that could subject asylum seekers to further abuse.

Gurbux Singh, chairperson of the Commission for Racial Equality, said local residents still needed help in preparing for refugees who have been granted leave to remain in the UK.

The white paper also proposes a citizenship pledge and a requirement for asylum seekers to develop English language skills. It is out for consultation until 21 March 2001.

- Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain from www.homeoffice.gov.uk 

Asylum policy proposals include:

- Simplified integration procedures.

- A 50 per cent expansion in the number of appeals that can be heard every month.

- Tough new measures to prevent delay and obstruction in the appeals system and "unmeritorious" applications for judicial reviews, including setting closure dates on appeals.

- Increase the probationary period for marriage from one to two years.