Refugee campaign groups have urged caution over the government's proposals to offer Afghan asylum seekers up to �2,500 to return home - saying that the situation remains dangerous for many.

But they also raised concerns over whether or not Afghanistan could manage the potential return of 17,000 refugees from the UK.

Jean Candler, of the Refugee Council, said that any returns scheme should be based on a highly successful programme for Kosovo refugees which allowed a family member to return to their home country without losing their rights to enter the UK.

A lot of people want to go home, they are thinking about it. But they don't know what's out there

Refugee Council

Under the programme, often known as "try and see" or "explore and prepare", refugees from Kosovo were given assistance to return to see what was left of their homes and whether or not it was feasible for a full return.

Hundreds of Kosovo refugees took part in the scheme over the year that it was run with the vast majority saying it aided their resettlement.

"The scheme allowed people to return and establish links with their communities," said Ms Candler.

"It removed obstacles to a successful return by letting people find out for themselves what the situation was.

"Sometimes they would come back realising that they need to gain a skill to help rebuild their country. By getting that skill back in Britain, they were better prepared to return home.

"A lot of people want to go home, they are thinking about it. But they don't know what's out there."

Protection for women

Alasdair MacKenzie, of Asylum Aid, said that if the scheme proved to be truly voluntary, then many campaigners would not have a problem with it.

But he also warned that those who would often make the decision to return, would be the family member with the least at risk.

"There is still fighting in Afghanistan and the situation is unstable," said Mr MacKenzie.

"There are significant concerns about the security of refugees who return, most specifically concerns over the security of women.

"In most cases, it's going to be the men in the family taking these decisions. When they return, they may not necessarily be the ones at risk."

Costs

But Alan Gibson, of the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers, said that a major problem would be the money on offer to return.

Mr Gibson, involved in the high-profile campaign to prevent the Afghan Ahmadi family being deported, said that �2,500 per family would not cover the debts of those who had paid thousands of pounds to traffickers to reach the UK.

"The amounts that people have paid to reach the UK are far greater than the UK is offering for them to leave," said Mr Gibson.

"On a clinical economic basis, it does not make any sense to take up the offer.

"These are people who have fled persecution and do not know whether they would face it again if they returned. Financial inducements won't change that."

State of Afghanistan

Earlier in August, the United Nations' Refugee Agency warned that Afghanistan may not be able to sustain mass returns if they continue at the current rate.

Tens of thousands of refugees are already re-entering the country after spending years in camps in Pakistan and Iran. The agency has warned that after 20 years of war, Afghanistan may not have the infrastructure yet to sustain the returns, leaving many living in tented cities.

Simon Taylor, London spokesman for the agency, said that in principle it supported returns if they were voluntary.

"If anyone wants to stay [in the UK] then they should have that right to do so," he told the BBC.

"I don't think that anyone would claim that Afghanistan us completely safe. But the number of people who do want to return is quite high."

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