About the pilot
Summary of pilot
The Scotland-wide pilot providing free bus travel to people seeking asylum ran from 1 December 2025 until the 31 March 2026.
It was designed based on the existing statutory NCTS which provide nationwide free bus travel to those 60 and over, under 22 or with an eligible disability. People seeking asylum in Scotland were issued with a time limited NEC which provided free travel on registered local and long-distance bus services throughout Scotland, at any time of day and for any number of journeys during the pilot period.
Participation by bus operators was on a voluntary basis with operators reimbursed at an agreed rate for each journey made by a cardholder. 125 bus operators agreed to participate in the pilot, though reimbursement claims indicate around half of this total carried passengers. This is likely to be due to the geographical spread of pilot participants.
To receive a NEC, people were required to provide proof of identity as well as their asylum status. The main form of proof of status was an Application Registration Card (ARC). These are issued by the Home Office to all people seeking asylum in the UK. If an ARC had not yet been received, the BAIL 201 letter was also accepted. This is an official document issued by the UK Home Office to individuals who have been granted immigration bail. People seeking asylum who were eligible for the existing NCTS, based on age or disability, were encouraged to apply for these schemes rather than the pilot but were permitted to apply for the pilot due to the simplified application process if they did not have all the necessary documents required to access the NCTS at the time of the pilot.
To reduce the administrative burden for local authorities, agreements with third sector organisations to act as Trusted Verifiers for applications were put in place where possible. These organisations checked eligibility documents and ensured application forms were filled in correctly before submitting them to the relevant local authority which would issue a NEC via the postal system. In most areas, local authorities also allowed people seeking asylum to apply to them directly and in these cases, the local authorities carried out the eligibility and verification checks. In Glasgow, where around 59% of the eligible population are housed, Trusted Verifiers checked eligibility and application forms for all applicants. Glasgow Life, an arms-length organisation which administers the Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme for Glasgow, was responsible only for issuing cards on behalf of Glasgow City Council. In areas without Trusted Verifiers, local authorities were responsible for both eligibility checks and issuing cards.
Communications about the scheme were targeted towards those eligible, predominantly via third sector and community organisations, Mears (who are the Home Office accommodation provider in Scotland) and local authorities. Information was also available on the Transport Scotland website.
By the end of the pilot, there were 3,972 cardholders who had taken over 341,000 journeys. This resulted in £997,233 of reimbursement paid to bus operators for the four-month period.
This is broadly in line with expected take up; an estimated one third of people seeking asylum are already eligible for the NCTS for free bus travel based on age or disability.
Barriers to travel for people seeking asylum
Asylum policy is reserved to the UK Parliament and managed by the Home Office. The Scottish Government and local authorities are responsible for devolved matters for people seeking asylum who are living in Scotland while they await a decision from the Home Office. This includes health, education, community integration, care and support of children, social care, and legal services (including legal aid).
People seeking asylum do not have the same rights and entitlements as refugees due to restrictions under UK immigration legislation, rules and policy. Section 115 of the Immigration and Asylum At 1999 and paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules establish the legal basis for the "no recourse to public funds" (NRPF) rule in the UK. The No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition, restricts access to benefits and support classed as public funds, including Universal Credit, the Scottish Welfare Fund and disability payments. People seeking asylum are generally restricted from working, except in limited circumstances if granted permission by the Home Office. Limited financial support from the Home Office is available to people seeking asylum only if they would otherwise be destitute while waiting for a decision on their asylum application. All decisions relating to the accommodation of people seeking asylum are made by the Home Office.
Transport affordability has frequently been identified as a significant challenge for many people seeking asylum, impacting their ability to access services and participate in community life (see Travel Choices Pilot Evaluation Report; Evaluation of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy; Access to primary healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees: an umbrella review of key factors (European Journal of Public Health) and A Feeling of Freedom: The Unmet Transport Needs of Refugees and People Seeking Asylum (Community Transport Association, 2023)). Asylum support rates are calculated by the Home Office to cover essentials, including food (where not provided in accommodation), clothing, toiletries and travel costs and are applied uniformly across the UK, including Scotland. Currently the rates are £49.18 per person per week if living in self-catered accommodation and £9.95 per week if living in accommodation where meals are provided (Asylum Support: What you'll get - GOV.UK). The average single bus fare in Scotland varies from £2.20 in Edinburgh and Midlothian to £5.10 in Aberdeenshire and Moray. Depending on the location of services and accommodation, people may also be required to take multiple buses.
People seeking asylum in receipt of Home Office support are also usually issued with a HC2 certificate under the NHS Low Income Scheme (NHS Inform, Healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers). This certificate entitles people seeking asylum to help with eligible NHS health costs, including reimbursement of travel expenses to NHS hospital appointments and support with certain other costs such as dental treatment, sight tests, glasses and contact lenses. However, because travel costs must be paid in advance and claimed back afterwards, this support is not accessible to people who lack the financial resources to meet the initial cost of travel.
For over two decades, Glasgow was the only dispersal area in Scotland, accommodating around 10% of the total UK’s dispersed asylum population. In 2022, the UK Government moved to a policy of full asylum dispersal, under which asylum accommodation could be procured in any local authority across the UK. While the majority of the Scotland-based population remains in Glasgow (around 59% as of 31 March 2026), 25 local authorities in Scotland are listed as having people seeking asylum accommodated in their area (excluding those receiving subsistence only) at the end of March 2026 (Home Office, Local Authority Asylum Support Dataset, March 2026). These areas can lack the specific support services required by people seeking asylum who may need to travel to the Glasgow area for access (see New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2024: Engagement Analysis Report). Outside of Glasgow and other urban areas it is also less likely that essential services will be within walking distance increasing reliance on public transport.
People in the asylum system are often relocated while awaiting a decision on their claim, with some experiencing multiple moves. This means they may need to register repeatedly with different GP surgeries throughout the asylum process or may remain registered with practices located outside their immediate local area. It also means that they may need to travel further to attend classes, activities or volunteering they are already participating in.
Policy and pilot objectives
The policy objective of providing free bus travel to people seeking asylum in Scotland is to support integration and community cohesion by enabling greater participation in communities, and by improving access to devolved services, advancing the aims of the New Scots refugee integration strategy.
The pilot aimed to assess the extent to which providing free bus travel across Scotland to people seeking asylum could support this as well as to provide detailed evidence and learning on the deliverability of possible future longer-term provision of free bus travel to people seeking asylum in Scotland.
Alignment with Scottish Government priorities
- The New Scots refugee integration strategy aims to support the integration of refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants within Scotland’s communities. Outcome 1 of the Delivery Plan is that New Scots live in safe, welcoming and inclusive communities and are able to build relationships and social connections. Outcome 2 is that New Scots can access services that meet their rights and needs. Accessible and affordable transport is essential to achieving both outcomes.
- The third Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan (2026-2031) was published in March 2026, setting out how the Scottish Government will drive further progress toward the eradication of child poverty. Providing free bus travel to people seeking asylum supports this objective by reducing transport costs for families and enabling people seeking asylum to use more of their limited income on essentials such as food, clothing and children's needs.
- By removing cost barriers to bus travel for people seeking asylum the provision of free bus travel should contribute to the National Transport Strategy's aims of promoting equality and delivering an inclusive transport system.
- Providing free bus travel to people seeking asylum could support the aims of Scotland's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy by reducing social isolation, improving access to mental and physical health and wellbeing services and activities, and facilitating greater participation in communities.