The announcement by Home Office Immigration Minister, Tony McNulty, that a new "removal centre" is to be established at Gatwick Airport, in order to protect the "integrity" of immigration controls and "ensure an efficient end-to-end process" (The Argus, March 21) is a worthy example of George Orwell's Newspeak.

What we are talking about is a prison to hold those convicted of no crime, unless fleeing persecution is now an offence in New Labour's Orwellian nightmare.

It is claimed this new addition to the "detention estate" is only for "failed asylum seekers".

What McNulty doesn't mention is the reason most asylum applications fail has nothing to do with the merits of their claims for asylum and everything to do with the removal of a right of appeal and an inability to find good solicitors because of the appalling rates of pay they receive.

There is no better example of a "failed asylum seeker" than Amir Hassan, a journalist whose asylum application has been refused for a second time by the Home Office (The Argus, March 24).

Amir founded the first internet company in Iran. He was hounded, beaten up and imprisoned by a regime whose human rights abuses are legendary.

The use of torture is standard in Iran and has even been used against children in order to persuade their parents to confess.

When it is convenient, the governments of Britain and the United State describe Iran's regime as the axis of evil. Yet when it comes to sending dissidents back into the clutches of this regime, all that McNulty can do is repeat clichs about being "robust and fair".

Anyone who has met Amir can have no doubt he is in genuine fear of his life. What possible reason can there be for playing with his life when his talents and ability to contribute to British society can hardly be doubted?

There is simply no rational argument for the treatment of Amir and others like him.

Asylum applications are a tenth of the number of workers entering this country legally from Eastern Europe to work. Yet the heavens haven't fallen in because of this immigration.

It is no surprise the Home Office refuses to comment on individual cases. Even they have difficulty in defending the indefensible.

-Tony Greenstein, secretary, Brighton & Hove Unemployed Workers Centre, Hollingdean