Asylum seekers in the UK will be banned from taking taxis to medical appointments from February, after it emerged the Home Office spends around £15.8 million a year on the service. The move is part of a broader crackdown on costs, following a BBC investigation that revealed cases such as a 250-mile taxi ride costing £600 for a GP visit.
Under the new rules, taxis will be 'strictly limited to exceptional, evidenced cases', including physical disabilities, serious or chronic illnesses, or pregnancy-related needs. For all other journeys, asylum seekers will be expected to use alternative transport such as buses, regardless of the urgency of their medical needs.
The government has so far rejected pleas to give asylum seekers free access to public transport, which campaigners have been requesting for years. Currently, asylum seekers are entitled to one return bus journey per week, while Home Office contractors often call taxis for all other necessary journeys, whether the person wants one or not.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, warned there was 'a risk the threshold will be set too high' and criticised the current system as 'government incompetence and poor contract management'. He said: 'The use of taxis is symptomatic of an asylum system that allows private contractors to make vast profits at the expense of the taxpayer.'
The government also plans to stamp out overcharging by taxi firms and other suppliers, with regular audits and strengthened reporting requirements. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: 'I am ending the unrestricted use of taxis by asylum seekers for hospital appointments, authorising them only in the most exceptional circumstances.'
The measures are part of a wider crackdown on waste in asylum accommodation and transport contracts, which the government says has already saved more than £74 million in accommodation costs. The government has pledged to remove asylum seekers from hotels into alternative accommodation by the end of this parliament, saving £500 million.
