1:31pm UK, Tuesday January 31, 2006

A destitute mother of three from the Democratic Republic of Congo has lost a High Court test case on asylum.

She was challenging Government legislation which removes state support and benefits from the families of failed asylum seekers.

180 female illegal immigrants asylum seekers

Families have gone missing

Charities had warned that a quarter of such families had vanished in fear of their children being taken into care because they are not entitled to benefits.

The charities say the policy of taking benefits away is forcing asylum seekers into hiding - rather than encouraging them to leave the country.

Two major refugee charities claim at least 32 of 116 families on a pilot scheme have disappeared.

A third charity said it knew of 35 families who had gone underground rather than face separation.

The Refugee Council and Refugee Action challenged Section 9 of the 2004 Asylum and Immigration Act.

They claimed it was "inhumane and ineffective".

The report also claimed that 80% of parents on the pilot scheme had mental health problems which have been made worse by Section 9.

Refugee Council chief executive Maeve Sherlock said: "When it launched Section 9 the Government said the aim was to encourage families to return home, and not to make them destitute.

"This report shows that it has achieved the complete opposite result."