Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe 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.In fullHome secretary orders urgent review into use of taxis for asylum seekersThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

A failed asylum seeker in an unnamed hotel used by the Home Office said he had been sent on a 250-mile, £600 taxi ride for a knee check-up.

Migrants were not offered the option to travel by public transport, or to walk, and that taxis were booked by an automated system, a report found

The Home Office has refused to disclose how much is spent on taxis for asylum seekers

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Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the Home Office was correct to launch a review after it emerged asylum seekers were being given long-distance taxi rides to attend…