Minister Marjolein Faber (Asylum and Migration) wants to significantly limit the use of taxis by asylum seekers starting June 1. Taxi use is only permitted for acute medical situations. The minister stated this in response to parliamentary questions.
The basis of the new strict taxi regulations is to encourage the self-reliance of asylum seekers, cut costs, and prune the growth of taxi rides.
For all other rides, the principle is: public transport. Exceptions to the rule are only possible under certain agreements with the IND, in the context of return or in emergencies.
Minister Faber:
“A healthy person can easily use public transport or simply ride a bike. These taxi costs are paid for by the taxpayer. I feel the responsibility to handle this very carefully and extremely cautiously. Therefore, I will impose strict limits on this.”
Recent research shows that millions of euros have been spent on rides in 2023 and 2024, where the necessity was unclear. In 2024, a total of 126 thousand non-medical taxi rides were carried out. Minister Faber considers this number unacceptably high.
The COA will start stricter controls and additional supervision from June 1. “Anyone who cheats the system has been warned. This minister does not look away.”