The Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) said the government body involved is demanding details of asylum seekers' possessions.

The charity said its clients have been told that unless they can justify exactly how they have come to be in possession of items like TVs or radios they could have their financial support withdrawn.

The National Asylum Support Service (Nass) is carrying out house visits in Glasgow, where the majority of Scots-based asylum seekers live, to offer advice and guidance.

It's very intimidating for many asylum seekers to receive a letter which is basically accusing them of not having declared employment to the Home Office

Julia Allan SRC

However, following some of those visits asylum seekers have been sent letters telling them that they have five days in which to explain to the Home Office, in London, how they have come to have certain possessions.

Asylum seekers are not allowed to work, and have to declare all their assets - so if the Nass officers decide that the applicants own more than they should, they can investigate further.

The SRC told BBC Scotland's Newsnight Scotland programme that the practice was intimidating its clients.

The SRC's Julia Allan said: "It's very intimidating for many asylum seekers to receive a letter which is basically accusing them of not having declared employment to the Home Office, particularly if that asylum seeker doesn't speak very good English.

"We've had an example only yesterday where a lady had received a letter listing her assets.

'Illegal methods'

"She had a television, a radio and a mobile phone and asking her to send her wage slips to the Home Office, whereas in fact the lady informed us she had bought the TV for �5 at the Barras (market) and the radio was a present from one of the church drop-ins she regularly attended."

Ms Allan added: "I think (Home Secretary) David Blunkett does wish to be seen as coming down hard on asylum seekers and I think this is a measure which is designed to place the emphasis on monitoring and tracking, rather than building a fairer asylum system."

The Home Office was invited to appear on Newsnight Scotland to refute the allegations, but declined.

The SRC said people are being treated unfairly

However, a spokesman said the outreach visits by Nass officers were designed to offer support and advice and that there was no reason for asylum seekers to feel threatened by them.

Concerns have also been raised that some of the agency's methods may be illegal.

Joe Bryce, a solicitor who works with asylum seekers, said that under Scots law a landlord was only able to enter a tenants' premises after giving 24 hours' written notice.

'Self-incrimination'

He said he did not believe people were being given that period of notice.

Mr Bryce added: "It's also contrary in my view to the European Convention, to Article Six, because people are being invited to send in proof that they have been working while in receipt of asylum support.

"If they have been doing that they have been committing a criminal offence, so what people are doing here is being told they must incriminate themselves, provide proof of committing a criminal offence upon pain of having their asylum support removed."

He said that support provided them with a place to live and the means to provide for their families and that the Home Office's invitation was a "clear contravention" of the convention's prohibition of self-incrimination.