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The government's desire to see asylum seekers isolated from society is abhorrent, says Sandy Buchan.

Heralded by the government as a radical reform of asylum policy, the new Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill does little to bestow this highly politicised area with the trust and confidence the home secretary seeks. For too long the UK has sought to deter would-be asylum seekers, effectively criminalising people in need of protection through restrictive immigration measures and punitive welfare provision.

Seeking asylum is not a crime. Tough-talking new plans to remove more people more quickly from the UK jeopardises the full hearing of asylum cases. A robust asylum policy is based on protecting and welcoming refugees. Yet we continue to drive desperate people into grinding poverty, and subject them to a dispersal policy that causes suffering. All too often, rather than entering the land of safety they had imagined, asylum seekers encounter daily racism, violence and abuse. It is time to learn from the mistakes of the past and to listen to asylum seekers, communities and service providers.

The proposal Refugee Action is urging the government to reconsider is the piloting of accommodation centres for asylum seekers. Instead, it should prioritise integration through centres that are small, in or near likely host communities with good access to independent advocates, including suitably trained lawyers and translators. Centres should be mixed, with a high proportion of bilingual staff and freedom of movement. They should be short-stay and support onward integration, including housing, career development and the education of children in mainstream schools. Above all, centres should orientate and welcome new arrivals, and facilitate fast and fair hearing of cases.

Integration must begin on arrival - most refugees want to work and learn English but are invariably prevented from doing so by barriers such as racism.

The UK hosts just 1.4 per cent of the world's refugee population, about 71,700 applicants last year. It is disappointing that legislators persist in devising policy that perpetuates a culture of fear towards asylum seekers, refugees and those who work with them. Surely the UK could herald a new way of working with asylum seekers by reaffirming our commitment to the principles enshrined in the UN Refugee Convention 1951, which reminds us that action is still urgently needed. Protecting, welcoming and integrating asylum seekers should be the touchstone of all asylum policy and service provision. Only then will trust and confidence ensue.

Sandy Buchan is chief executive of Refugee Action.