UK council breaks silence on spending £71k on free bus passes for asylum seekers | UK | News
A council in the UK has defended spending £71,000 on free bus tickets for asylum seekers, insisting the scheme would “help connect individuals across the region”. After spending £31,000 on the bus fare initiative between November 2024 and April 2025, Oxfordshire County Council has allocated extra funding for the year between April 2025 and March 2026. Oxford Post clarified. According to reports, most of the taxpayers’ money went to bus companies offering free rides to migrants, with just over £6,000 donated to the charity Asylum Welcome.
The Liberal Democrat-run local authority has been slammed by critics including Tory councilor Liam Walker for wasting limited council funds, proposing to turn off street lights to make ends meet and “bashing drivers with congestion charges”. Mr Walker, who represents the Hanborough and Hailey ward, said: “I’m sorry but the Liberal Democrats in Oxfordshire have lost the plot.” “This is not what taxpayers’ money should be spent on.”
A spokesman for the council said the scheme only applied to the city of Oxford, arguing it would ultimately help immigrants “make connections”.
“Operating in Oxford, this program encourages and enables integration and helps these individuals connect with the local community,” they continued.
“It also helps them become more economically active in the long term and contribute to the community they live in. We are very grateful to the local bus companies and Asylum Welcome for working with us on this program.”
Legal documents released under FOI alleged that asylum seekers living in Oxford “face serious difficulties getting around the city due to the cost of public transport”.
They also suggested that newcomers experience “a negative impact on mental health, which is exacerbated by loneliness and isolation due to lack of movement or activity, particularly in those with anxiety, depression and ADHD.”
The latest figures published by the Home Office suggested that 395 asylum seekers were currently living in hotels in the borough as of June 30, with 168 of them living in the Oxford city area.
Andrew Gant, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member for transport management at the county council, previously described the scheme as “one little thing we can do to support asylum seekers awaiting the outcome of their asylum claims”.
Bus company bosses, including Stagecoach West’s Chris Hanson and Oxford Bus Company’s Luke Marion, also expressed their support for the initiative, saying it helped “improve a sense of belonging” and opened doors to “future job opportunities”.
