By Dominic Casciani BBC News Online community affairs reporter

Support: Programmes already exist for refugee doctors

Sir Gulam Noon, chairman of Noon Products which is a major supplier of popular ready-made curries to supermarkets, said the lack of English language teaching for refugees meant new arrivals were not integrating and contributing as quickly as they could.

He and others working with asylum seekers and refugees are pressing the government to overhaul the way English is taught to immigrants.

Understanding some English is becoming a key part of new citizenship tests - but critics say ministers are failing to tackle huge waiting lists for language classes and wide disparities in tuition between different areas.

'Integration and dignity'

Since last year, all asylum seekers waiting for a decision on their cases have been barred from seeking work.

REFUGEES IN THE WORKPLACE They display responsibility, loyalty and, above all, the desire to learn and become economically stable - it is an asset for any industry and indeed for the wealth of the nation Sir Gulam Noon

But Sir Gulam, who employs more than 300 settled refugees at his company's London manufacturing base, said they had been a key part of his business success.

"We have been employing refugees for 10 years," said Sir Gulam, also president of the London Chamber of Commerce. "They bring their own skills, and some of them are climbing the ladder of management.

"I am very proud to have them with us. But they also need integration and dignity, that's the operative word."

"Every refugee has to learn English to be able to lead their life. I would encourage every employer to pay attention to the English language of their employees.

"Government should pay attention to [teaching English] - it should not be compulsory, but it should be encouraged.

"They should start working so they can pay their expenses and taxes, so they are not a burden for the nation.

"Apart from just giving them gainful employment we should also give them security, a sense of belonging and training to integrate into the community.

Sir Gulam said refugees were bringing "skills and a trait of personality which was more than welcome".

In the case of his company, it was now providing in-house English lessons to help new employees integrate more quickly.

"They display responsibility, loyalty and, above all, the desire to learn and become economically stable," he said.

"It is an asset for any industry and indeed for the wealth of the nation because they go on to earn their own homes, seek naturalisation and pay taxes."

Language teaching

Last year's Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act stipulates that those seeking naturalisation should have some understanding of English as part of a citizenship test, currently being devised. There will also be tests for Welsh and Scots Gaelic where applicable.

LEARNING ENGLISH It sometimes sounds as if the government believes would-be citizens have to be co-erced into learning English - the facts are the reverse Ram Gidoomal, Employability Forum Is language key to integration?

The Home Office's research suggests knowledge of English is closely related to an immigrant's ability to obtain "full economic and social participation" in British life.

But it is thought at least one million people in the UK do not have good enough language skills for employment - and what is on offer largely depends on where a newly arrived refugee is housed.

In one London area there is a waiting list of more than 1,000 for language classes.

Furthermore, new immigrants may have to wait up to three years to qualify to join free adult literacy schemes.

Professor Sir Bernard Crick, Home Secretary David Blunkett's advisor on citizenship, called for this rule to be scrapped.

"Otherwise [new immigrants] are lost and the damage is done," he said.

"Because of the falling birthrate and ageing population, this country is in desperate need of immigrants and this has to be supported in policy."

Ram Gidoomal, chairman of the Employability Forum which advises government on refugees in the economy, said: "The government has made highly publicised proposals requiring progress in English as a condition of citizenship.

"At the same time, thousands of refugees are unable to find work because of the shortage of provision for learning English.

"It sometimes sounds as if the government believes would-be citizens have to be co-erced into learning English. The facts are the reverse."

Alison Fenney of the Refugee Council added: "The main barrier to refugees learning English is not lack of will but rather the lack of suitable language courses."