2:41am UK, Tuesday May 20, 2008

The word "asylum" should be phased out in relation to foreigners seeking safe haven in Britain and replaced with "sanctuary", a report has said.

'Sanctuary seekers' at Calais

A poll for the Independent Asylum Commission found that only 28% of people viewed "asylum" positively, and 33% viewed it negatively.

In comparison, more than 81% thought "sanctuary" had positive connotations.

Slightly more people - 31.3% - most associated the word "asylum" with a place for the mentally ill rather than with safety for the persecuted, the poll said.

A commission spokesman said there was "grave misunderstanding" among the public which threatened to undermine Britain's long tradition of offering help to those fleeing persecution.

"The commissioners advise those wishing to communicate effectively with the public to avoid using the term 'asylum' or 'asylum seeker' if they wish to convey messages about people seeking sanctuary from persecution," he said.

The Association of Muslim Lawyers' Ifath Nawaz, who co-chairs the commission, said: "The public have to understand and support sanctuary and the system that provides it for those fleeing persecution.

"And that is why the commission is calling for a campaign to win hearts and minds and ensure we have a system that is in line with the values of the mainstream British public."

Co-chair and former High Court judge Sir John Waite said: "Unless we take action to restore public support and confidence, the outlook for the UK's tradition of providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution is bleak.

"The public overwhelmingly supports the idea that we provide sanctuary to those who need it and they are on the whole proud of our history as a safe haven.

"But there is a profound disconnection in the public mind between the sanctuary they want the UK to provide and their perception of asylum seekers and the asylum system."

The survey of 1,000 people aged over 17 was conducted by Efeedback Research.