The Home Secretary has initiated an urgent review concerning the use and cost of taxi services for transferring asylum seekers from their hotels to appointments. This decision comes after a BBC investigation reported on instances of long-distance journeys and significant expenses.
The investigation highlighted a reported 250-mile journey for a GP visit, with an estimated cost of £600 to the Home Office. While asylum seekers receive a bus pass for one weekly return journey, taxis are arranged for additional essential travel, such as medical appointments. The Home Office has stated that it does not maintain specific figures on taxi expenditure for asylum seekers, as revealed by a Freedom of Information Act request.
The report also noted that an automated system used for booking taxis, activated by proof of an upcoming appointment at hotel receptions, can lead to a range of journey lengths. A government minister subsequently characterized the necessity of some extended taxi journeys as “questionable.”
Source: www.bbc.com