Asylum seekers in the UK will be banned from using taxis for 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 in asylum accommodation and transport contracts.
Under the new rules, asylum seekers must use alternative transport such as buses, regardless of the urgency of their medical needs. Taxis will only be permitted in exceptional, evidenced cases, including physical disabilities, serious or chronic illnesses, or pregnancy-related needs. The government has so far rejected calls to provide free public transport passes, which campaigners have sought for years.
The ban follows a BBC investigation that found some asylum seekers had taken long taxi journeys, including one man who travelled 250 miles at a cost of £600 to see a GP. Long distances often result from asylum seekers being moved to different areas, sometimes while undergoing treatment like chemotherapy.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, warned that the threshold for taxi exemptions may be set too high, risking that vulnerable individuals miss out. He criticised the current system as allowing private contractors to profit at taxpayer expense due to poor contract management. The government said it plans to tackle overcharging by taxi firms through regular audits and strengthened reporting.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated the government inherited contracts that were wasting billions of pounds, and she is ending the unrestricted use of taxis for hospital appointments. The government also aims to remove asylum seekers from hotels into alternative accommodation, including military sites, by the end of this parliament, saving £500 million.
