EXCLUSIVE: Oxfordshire County Council pointed out that asylum seekers have just £9 a week, which meaning they cannot afford bus fares.
Lee Anderson said the scheme was an ‘insult’ to British taxpayers (Image: GETTY/Oxford Bus Company)
A scheme enabling asylum seekers to use free bus travel for which UK citizens are expected to fork out £4.50 a day has been branded an “insult” by Reform UK MP Lee Anderson.
The pilot project provides free bus day-passes to asylum seekers in Oxford, enabling them to travel within the city’s SmartZone.
Supported by Asylum Welcome, Citizens UK and Oxfordshire County Council, the initiative aims to help asylum seekers attend appointments, take classes, access museums and libraries and integrate into the local community.
The Oxford Bus Company distributed the first 120 free passes this week to asylum seekers living in hotel accommodation – leaving Mr Anderson, the MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, deeply unimpressed.
He told Express.co.uk: “This is an insult to British taxpayers.
Asylum seekers can use the passes on buses in Oxford (Image: Oxford Bus Company)
“When taxes are at an all time high and the cost of living crisis is being felt by everyone, we now see asylum seekers getting free travel.
“British taxpayers should come first. There is a simple way to stop the excess spending on things like this and hotels and that’s by stopping the boats once and for all.
“Successive Labour and Tory government’s have failed to get a grip of this issue.
“Only Reform UK are prepared to pick up and return the boats to France as allowed under UN Convention of Law at Sea.”
Oxford has a population of just over 160,000 (Image: Getty)
William Yarwood, media campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, was also highly sceptical about the idea:
“Oxford residents will be driven round the bend that illegal immigrants are getting preferential treatment.
“While others have to pay for their bus passes, asylum seekers are getting a free ride thanks to taxpayers’ cash.
“Government ministers need to rapidly speed up the asylum system and ensure those that do not belong here are removed.”
Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft, pictured with Queen Elizabeth II, backs the scheme (Image: Getty)
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, recipients have said the scheme has transformed their lives.
One, Habib, said: “I like Oxford city, and I want to make my future in Oxford.”
Another, Ghaniyat, added, “I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life. I appreciate it deeply.”
Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft has spoken out in support, calling the scheme “a tangible sign of welcome from our whole community.”
An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman told Express.co.uk: “Asylum seekers have just £9 a week, which means they can’t afford bus fares.
The scheme also enables access to museums in Oxford (Image: Getty)
“This is one small thing we can do support asylum seekers who are awaiting the outcome of their asylum claim. It will enable them to prepare for work by accessing services and learning to adapt to life in Oxfordshire.”
They added: “This will promote and enable integration and help the individuals in question build connections with local people.
“It would also assist them in the longer term to become economically active and contribute to the community in which they live.”
Asylum Welcome and the Oxford Bus Company have been approached for comment.
