Church Action on Poverty recently accused the Government of using destitution as part of a deliberate strategy to force refused asylum seekers to leave the country.
People refused asylum in the UK often have no means to get back to their own countries, and, even as you read this, many are living rough on the streets of our towns and cities, simply abandoned by the state without food, shelter, money or even the right to help themselves by seeking paid employment.
Last weekend, towns, communities and churches held events to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade and at the same time threw the spotlight on new forms of slavery present in the world today, including child labour and human trafficking.
Earlier in the month Blair even expressed "deep sorrow" for Britain's part in the slave trade, adding, "We are sorry".
It is remarkable that the Government can one day offer a sheepish 'sorry' for its part in the barbaric slave trade, while at the same time carrying out its strategy of deporting yet more refused asylum seekers back to the very homelands they fled from, very often in the face of conflict, widespread human rights abuses and loss of life.
Yet the inhumanity of such a strategy is not enough to disquiet the consciences of Prime Minister Tony Blair, Home Secretary John Reid and anyone else who acquiesces to Labour's get-tough policy on asylum seekers.
Earlier in the month, Mr Reid even boasted that the UK was now "throwing out" record numbers of what he called "foreigners [who] come to this country illegitimately and steal our benefits".
Asylum seekers are not criminals, they are people asking for help. And yet they are treated as worse than criminals. Not even our caught criminals are forced to sleep rough on the streets, but can enjoy a good night's sleep on a warm, clean prison bed and three hot meals during the day, take part in education classes, go out to the exercise yard or watch a bit of telly. Women inmates can even have their hair and nails done.
