UK Ends Taxi Access for Asylum Seekers’ Medical Trips, Limits Use to ‘Exceptional’ Cases

The UK government will ban the routine use of taxis for asylum seekers travelling to medical appointments from February, following revelations that the Home Office spends nearly £15.8 million annually on the service.

Under the new rules, asylum seekers will be required to rely on public transport such as buses, regardless of the urgency of their treatment needs. Campaigners warn the policy could leave vulnerable individuals struggling to access essential healthcare, especially as the government continues to refuse free public transport for people seeking asylum.

Medical travel is often necessary when individuals are relocated while already receiving treatment, including for serious conditions like cancer. Although asylum seekers currently receive support for one weekly return bus journey, Home Office contractors in many regions have routinely arranged taxis for additional trips — often at significant cost.

A subcontractor in south-east London told the BBC that his firm billed the Home Office up to £1,000 per day for as many as 15 short trips between a hotel and a nearby GP clinic.

The government says taxi use will now be limited to “exceptional, evidenced cases” such as people with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, or pregnancy-related needs. All such journeys will require prior approval from the Home Office.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, expressed concern that the threshold for exemptions would be “set too high,” warning that inconsistent vulnerability checks could prevent people from accessing vital medical care. He argued that the soaring taxi bill reflected “government incompetence and poor contract management.”

The Home Office said it will introduce stricter oversight of contractors, including audits and strengthened reporting obligations.

The changes form part of wider cost-cutting measures within the asylum system, which ministers say have already saved more than £74 million. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the new policy ends “the unrestricted use of taxis” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to close all asylum hotels and move people to alternative accommodation before the end of the current parliament.