Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an urgent review into the use of taxis for asylum seekers after a BBC investigation revealed journeys costing the Home Office hundreds of pounds.
The probe found some migrants were being transported long distances to attend medical appointments, with one asylum seeker reportedly taken on a 250-mile round trip to a GP at a cost of £600.
Although asylum seekers are issued weekly bus passes for one return journey, taxis are routinely booked for additional travel, including healthcare.
Under the current system, residents must show proof of an appointment at their hotel reception, where taxis are booked automatically, with public transport rarely offered as an option.
This has led to unusually long trips, particularly when migrants retain GPs after being relocated to different hotels.Government ministers have acknowledged the problem.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the journeys were questionable,while Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden agreed the system needed closer scrutiny.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said £600 fares were “money that should be paying for British patients,accusing Labour of writing a blank cheque for illegal immigration.”
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson described the costs as “the tip of the iceberg,while the Liberal Democrats branded them a ridiculous waste of taxpayer money.”
The BBC investigation also uncovered poor conditions inside asylum hotels, including cramped rooms, fire alarms covered with plastic bags as residents cooked meals in bathrooms, and children enduring years in temporary accommodation.
Some asylum seekers admitted working illegally for as little as £20 a day to pay debts to smugglers.
The government has pledged to end hotel use for asylum housing, but campaigners say profiteering and neglect continue to define the system. Mahmood has promised swift action following the review.
