Ministers pledge aid to settle refugees

The government will today risk a backlash in the polls by making a policy commitment to helping refugees to get better jobs, housing and education.

The government will today risk a backlash in the polls by making a policy commitment to helping refugees to get better jobs, housing and education.

The Home Office and Department of Health will outline plans to integrate thousands of successful asylum seekers into communities across Britain. All refugees will be provided with English-language training and assisted in finding jobs of a similar stature to those they held in their countries of origin.

Financial help will be given to help refugees put down deposits on rented housing, and £1m in grants is to go to refugee support organisations.

The step comes days after a public opinion poll found that eight in 10 British adults said they believed refugees came to Britain because they saw the country as a "soft touch".

The Mori poll for Reader's Digest found that 66 per cent of Britons thought there were too many immigrants and 63 per cent believed too much was being done to help them.

Ann Widdecombe, the shadow Home Secretary, has refused to give a commitment not to make asylum and immigration key issues in the run-up to an election, despite fears of a rise in racist attacks.

Barbara Roche, the Immigration minister, told The Independent that the Mori poll had been a "salutary reminder" showing a need to "talk about the positive side" of the issue. She said refugees had greatly benefited Britain, "but what they have not had until now is the assistance to enable them to make that contribution".

Nick Hardwick, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the integration programme was "a very positive step", although he still had concerns about other areas of policy.

The Government is particularly anxious to help refugees to settle outside London. Since April, 1,653 asylum seekers have been dispersed to the North-west, 1,454 to Yorkshire and Humberside, 1,031 to the North-east and 856 to Scotland.

The Home Office believes many will choose to stay in areas where they have been dispersed. But officials realise that many such areas lack the support networks to help refugees settle in.

The Government will today announce a National Refugee Integration Forum to oversee the programme. Among its most important aims will be to set up a strategy to ensure that all refugees have access to English language training. Schools will be reimbursed £500 per pupil for helping refugee children with English.

The Government will call on local authorities to make greater efforts in housing refugees,who will be offered "orientation" courses on British institutions and their rights as British citizens.

Ms Roche will announce that £650,000 in grants is being provided to the Refugee Council and related organisations as "larger numbers of refugees" are being based in new cluster areas around Britain. A further £350,000 will be offered to community-based groups. She will set up a £500,000 challenge fund for projects working with refugee children or women.