Government moves to ban most taxi travel for asylum seekers attending medical appointments, placing transport policy at the heart of the UK’s migration overhaul. The ban will come into force from February 2026, when Home Office–funded taxi journeys for asylum seekers will be heavily restricted after a review of costs incurred under existing arrangements. Under the new rules asylum seekers will no longer be automatically entitled to taxi rides for hospital or GP visits. Instead they will be expected to use public transport such as buses where that is reasonably available. Government figures cited in the announcement place the annual cost of taxi transport for asylum seekers at about £15.8 million. Some of the journeys previously provided were reportedly long and expensive. AmonThe government plans to end most taxi travel for asylum seekers attending medical appointments, replacing it with public transport and tightening Home Office oversight.g the cases unmasked by investigative journalism was one asylum seeker whose 250-mile taxi ride to a GP reportedly cost around £600. Under contractors’ current practice many taxi bookings are arranged automatically from hotel reception desks when residents require medical care or other essential travel. The new policy will require contractors instead to check for bus or public transport options before authorising any car journey funded by the Home Office. Exceptions will still be allowed. Asylum seekers with serious disabilities, chronic illness, advanced pregnancy or other conditions making public transport impractical may request a taxi journey, but each case must be formally approved by the Home Office under strict criteria before a booking is made. The decision follows an urgent review earlier this year into the way transport services were being provided under Home Office contracts. That review was set in motion after media reports raised questions about value for money and lack of oversight regarding how taxi bookings were used across the accommodation network. Under the existing scheme asylum seekers are typically entitled to one weekly return bus journey for everyday needs. But trips for medical care and other essential services have often been arranged via taxis, even when public transport or closer medical centres might have been available, according to recent reporting. The government argues that aligning asylum seekers’ transport access with that of many UK residents who rely on public transport will reduce unnecessary costs and allow savings to be reallocated across the asylum support system and public services. Advocacy groups and migrant-support organisations have warned that the change may create barriers to timely medical access for asylum seekers, particularly for those unfamiliar with local transport networks, lacking English language skills, or living in rural or poorly connected areas where public transport is limited. Taxi and private-hire operators that previously provided regular services to asylum accommodation sites have expressed concern about the effect on their business. Some firms warned that the end of frequent Home Office bookings will reduce demand significantly in areas hosting many asylum seekers. The ban forms part of a broader overhaul of the asylum and immigration system announced this year by the government under its new leadership. Transport reform, tighter cost controls, and renegotiation of support contracts are being pursued alongside changes to status, housing arrangements, and benefit eligibility for asylum seekers....