Sir, In October 2001 the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, scrapped the voucher system for asylum-seekers, describing it as “too slow, vulnerable to fraud and felt to be unfair by both asylum-seekers and local communities”.

Yet in April 2005 the Government reintroduced voucher support, worth a pitiful £35 per week, for failed asylum-seekers who have agreed to return to their home country but are unable to do so for good reason, such as medical problems, pregnancy or lack of a safe route.

Vouchers are a humiliating and impoverishing provision. They restrict the recipients’ ability to budget, by using designated stores, often at a distance from their accommodation. The vouchers are not accepted on public transport and in some cases are in the form of luncheon vouchers only. Recipients struggle to obtain items such as baby clothes, essential toiletries and food.

Some members of the Government appear to accept that a £35 voucher does not meet all the needs of this vulnerable group (Hansard, House of Lords, Feb 7, col 581); however, the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill makes no commitment to extra support and does not allow that support to be made in cash. Vouchers are unjust and unnecessary.

JOHN PACKER
Bishop of Ripon and Leeds
MICHAEL SCOTT-JOYNT
Bishop of Winchester
TIM STEVENS
Bishop of Leicester
JAMES JONES
Bishop of Liverpool
JACK NICHOLLS
Bishop of Sheffield
Ripon, N Yorks

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