The King's Fund is launching a manifesto for refugee health on Monday and is calling for an urgent review of the Bill on health grounds.

It says that, if the controversial Bill is passed, it would like to see "immediate action" to ensure it does not harm refugee health.

The charity says refugees suffer the same health problems as everyone else, but they may face additional difficulties, such as mental and physical trauma caused by torture and the stress caused by the asylum process itself.

Under the Bill, asylum seekers will no longer be allowed benefits, but will be given food vouchers instead.

The King's Fund manifesto, whose launch coincides with the start of Refugee Week and final discussions on the Bill in Parliament, says studies have found that giving out food vouchers instead of cash restricts people's freedoms to choose what they eat and how they live.

It says the vouchers are worth 70% of Income Support, leaving them below the poverty line.

Rabbi Julia Neuberger, chief executive of the fund, said: "Forcing refugee families to exist below the poverty line in places they have not chosen to live is not appropriate in a civilised society with a government that promises to tackle social exclusion."

The government, however, says the vouchers are worth 90% of Income Support, but refugee agencies dispute how it arrives at this total.

Dispersal

The King's Fund is also worried that, by promoting the dispersal of refugees around the country, the Bill could deprive them of access to the specialist health services that have sprung up in London.

These include the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.

The King's Fund says refugees have high levels of mental ill health caused by experiences or fears of persecution, oppression and violence.

Many may also have physical injuries resulting from torture which require specialist medical attention.

The government says asylum seekers need to be dispersed because, at present, local authorities in the southeast, and particularly in London, are under too much pressure.

The King's Fund calls on the government to withdraw the Immigration and Asylum Bill in its current form and develop a new Bill which speeds up the asylum process and given them "a reasonable quality of life" while they are waiting to have their applications considered.

It says that delays in the asylum process can cause extra stress.

If the Bill is passed, the King's Fund says asylum seekers must be dispersed to areas with adequate support servcies for them, including interpreters for GP surgeries and specialist medical staff.

It also wants better training of health staff in dealing with refugees, a strategy for combatting racist attitudes met by asylum seekers, a system for monitoring and improving the health of refugees and greater provision of information on health services.