UK city breaks silence on spending £71k on free bus passes for asylum seekers

A UK council has defended spending £71,000 on free bus passes for asylum seekers, insisting the scheme will "help individuals build connections" in the area. Oxfordshire County Council allocated the extra funds for the year from April 2025 to March 2026 after spending £31,000 on the bus pass initiative between November 2024 and April 2025, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Oxford Mail revealed. The bulk of the taxpayer cash has gone to bus companies offering the migrants free journeys, with just over £6,000 handed to the charity Asylum Welcome, according to reports.

The Liberal Democrat-run local authority was slammed by critics including Tory councillor Liam Walker for misspending limited council funds while proposing street light switch-offs to make ends meet and "hammering motorists with congestion charges". "I'm sorry but the Lib Dems in Oxfordshire have lost the plot," Mr Walker, who represents the Hanborough and Hailey area said. "This is not what taxpayer money should be spent on."

A spokesperson for the council said the scheme only applied to Oxford city and argued that it would ultimately help migrants to "build connections".

"This scheme operating in Oxford promotes and enables integration and helps the individuals in question build connections with local people," they continued.

"It also assists them in the longer term to become more economically active and contribute to the community in which they live. We are very grateful to the local bus companies and Asylum Welcome for working with us on this scheme."

Legal documents released as part of the FOI suggested asylum seekers living in Oxford "face significant challenges to get around the city due to the cost of public transport".

They also suggested that the new arrivals suffer from a "negative impact on mental health, exacerbated by loneliness and isolation, especially for those with anxiety, depression and ADHD through lack of mobility or activity".

The most recent figures published by the Home Office suggested there were 395 asylum seekers currently living in hotels across the county, with 168 in the Oxford city area as of June 30.

Andrew Gant, Lib Dem cabinet member for transport management on the county council, previously described the scheme as "one small thing we can do to support asylum seekers who are awaiting the outcome of their asylum claim".

Bus firm bosses including Stagecoach West's Chris Hanson and Luke Marion, of Oxford Bus Company, also expressed support of the initative, suggesting it helps to "foster a sense of belonging" and opens doors to "future job opportunities".