Asylum seekers are being held in Maghaberry jail

A cross-party delegation inspected conditions and met asylum seekers being held at Maghaberry Prison on Thursday.

The delegation included Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition, Eileen Bell of the Alliance Party, Patricia Lewsley of the SDLP, Conor Murphy of Sinn Fein and Billy McCaughey of the Progressive Unionist Party.

A woman who is eight-months pregnant is among ten asylum seekers currently being held.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where illegal immigrants are still routinely held in prison.

The visit was organised by human rights group Amnesty International.

Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International said there were other options available for housing asylum seekers in the province.

"One alternative we are putting forward is some sort of hostel accommodation, where people can have free association, be part of the community, but check in at night time," he said.

Those seeking asylum are often escaping very difficult circumstances and we have an obligation to protect their human rights Monica McWilliams Women's Coalition

"Another possibility is simply for people to live as normal in the community, and report regularly to their police station."

Monica McWilliams said she intended to contact Secretary of State Paul Murphy after witnessing what she described as "unacceptable" conditions experienced by asylum seekers at the jail.

"It is unacceptable that any person should be imprisoned when they have not committed a crime. I have also heard complaints about delays in processing applications and access to lawyers," she said.

"The situation arises because we have no adequate accommodation for asylum seekers in Northern Ireland, but we cannot tolerate it.

"Those seeking asylum are often escaping very difficult circumstances and we have an obligation to protect their human rights. Locking them in Maghaberry, alongside paramilitary prisoners, is not a way to do that."

"I intend to contact the Secretary of State about what I have seen here today, and call for an immediate halt to the practice of imprisoning asylum seekers in Northern Ireland."

The Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities and the Belfast Law Centre have also called for an end to the imprisoning of asylum seekers.