THE Scottish Refugee Council has warned that Home Office moves to speed up the decision process over asylum bids is doomed to failure without proper support.

But the Scottish Refugee Council has warned the success of the new asylum model depends on the number and quality of legal advisers.

The organisation discussed the issue at its annual meeting in Edinburgh yesterday.

Desire Ruragaza, board member of the SRC and an advocate from Burundi in Africa, said it could be difficult for asylum seekers to get good quality legal advice. She said: "Bad advice and representation can mean the difference between the prospect of a new and safe life and being returned to prosecution."

Sally Daghlian, chief executive of the SRC, welcomed the new model's focus on improving the quality of initial asylum decisions. However, she said: "The new procedure depends for its success on the number and quality of well-trained legal advisers.

"Few other areas of law have been subject to the same level of legislation. So much change is challenging, therefore it is vitally important the legal advisers receive appropriate, up-to-date training, or the new system risks falling at the first hurdle.

Ms Daghlian added: "One of the problems in Scotland is so many people feel they have been badly advised. Another problem is about trying to remove people to places which are fundamentally unsafe.

"Some have been here for more than five years, their children know no other country and we would urge the government to be more humanitarian and compassionate in such cases."