Home secretary orders urgent review into use of taxis for asylum seekers
Home Office faces scrutiny over secret asylum seeker taxi bill
- The Home Office is refusing to disclose the amount spent on taxi services for asylum seekers, prompting an urgent review by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
- The review was initiated after a BBC investigation revealed a migrant was sent on a 250-mile taxi journey for a GP appointment, costing £600.
- The investigation also found that asylum seekers are frequently transported long distances between hotels by taxi, with the total annual cost of these services currently unknown.
- Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook questioned the necessity of such long-distance travel but confirmed the Home Office lacks specific figures for these expenditures.
- The BBC's findings also exposed dangerous cooking conditions and widespread illegal working within asylum hotels.