Free bus travel boosted mental health and integration for asylum seekers, refugee organisations said. But the Scottish government has ended a £2million pilot
Refugee organisations have criticised the Scottish government’s “disappointing and devastating” decision to end free bus travel for asylum seekers.
The scheme provided a “glimpse of hope for the future” for asylum seekers, said the leader of one charity, as the government decided to end a pilot which had run since October 2023.
Free travel reduced isolation, enhanced integration, and improved health and wellbeing for asylum seekers – who are unable to work and survive on less than £50 a week – said Ekta Marwaha, chief executive of Refugee Sanctuary Scotland.
Announced in October 2023 with £2m of funding, Scotland’s initiative inspired similar calls across the country. Oxfordshire County Council was considering bus travel for asylum seekers as of June, with one Green Party councillor branding it “performative cruelty” to deny them a bus pass.
Read the full article here – Scottish government ends free bus travel for asylum seekers – Big Issue
