Asylum seekers continue using taxpayer-funded taxis for medical appointments two months after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood promised an urgent review into it.
Taxpayers footing bill for migrant taxis (Image: Getty)
Immigrants are still using taxpayer-funded taxis to get to medical appointments, two months after the Home Secretary promised an “urgent review” into it. Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced a probe into the trips, which see illegal immigrants getting ferried to and from the doctors at your expense.
But the probe has not yet surfaced, with Home Office grandees admitting the findings are still to come. Ms Mahmood said she would review the handout after an investigation by the BBC revealed that asylum seekers had been driven on 250-mile round-trips for visits to the GP, with the taxpayer getting to pick up the £600 tab.
Currently, immigrants receive a single weekly bus pass, with any medical appointments automatically triggering a free taxi booking arranged through the reception of their taxpayer-funded hotel.
Immigrants are not offered the option of walking or taking other forms of transportation.
At the time, the Home Office was forced to admit to the Beeb that it “does not keep” total spending on cabs, all the while the journeys continue to tick up unknown costs.
And just last week Ms Mahmood said she was “furious” about the skyrocketing bills, declaring that the system needed to be fixed.
The Home Secretary urged people to “just wait another few days” for the outcome of her review, which has yet to appear.
Reform UK and the Conservatives have accused her of being all talk and no action.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, speaking to the Sun, said: “The Home Office promised urgent action on this scandal, but they have done nothing.
“Clearly the new Home Secretary has not got a grip after all.
“It’s a disgrace that millions of pounds of taxpayers’ hard earned money are being wasted ferrying asylum seekers, many of whom are illegal immigrants, around in taxis – at a time when most British citizens can’t afford taxis themselves.
“The illegal immigrants should be walking or using public transport.”
The Deputy Leader of Reform UK, Richard Tice, hit out saying: “Labour cannot control the incompetent Home Office, which seems determined to continue to waste millions of £s of taxpayers’ cash.
“All taxi use by illegal migrants should stop now.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “An urgent review into the use of taxis for asylum seekers will conclude shortly. This is a complex process given the number of contracts inherited from the previous government that need exiting.
“We will ensure value for money for the taxpayer.”
