"The use of taxis to take asylum seekers from their hotels to appointments must be stopped, the prime minister has said. It comes after a BBC investigation into conditions inside asylum hotels found some migrants taking long journeys by cab, including one 250-mile visit to a GP costing 600. Sir Keir Starmer said people would be "very concerned" by this practice and repeated his commitment to end the use of hotels "as quickly as possible.""
"Asylum seekers being housed in the hotels by the government are issued with a bus pass for one return journey per week, but taxis are called for any other necessary travel, such as a doctor's appointment. They are booked on an automated system where public transport or walking are not given as options - which can result in some unusually long or short journeys."
The prime minister said taxis transporting asylum seekers from hotels to appointments must stop and pledged to close and empty asylum hotels as quickly as possible. An investigation found migrants making long taxi journeys, including a 250-mile trip to a GP costing 600. The Home Office ordered an urgent review and ministers are exploring ways to bring forward hotel exits. Asylum seekers receive a bus pass for one return journey per week; taxis are used for other necessary travel and are booked via an automated system that does not offer public transport or walking options, producing unusually long or short journeys. Inspections of four unnamed hotels revealed cramped conditions, disabled smoke alarms, residents cooking in showers with electric hobs, and signs of illegal work; staff later searched rooms for makeshift cooking equipment.
Read at www.bbc.com
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