‘Pak taxi driver angry at...’: British activist’s conversation on refugee transport costs goes viral

A Pakistani taxi driver has spoken out about what he sees as the wasteful cost of transporting refugees across the UK, according to British right-wing activist Tommy Robinson. The driver, who has lived legally in the UK for two years, spoke to Robinson during a protest in Braintree while driving him in his cab.“Yes. 100 people working there. Yeah, people are living there. They do nothing,” the driver told Robinson, referring to the Wetherfield refugee centre.He described how taxis ferry refugees across England, sometimes charging up to £300 per journey, even when passengers are heading to the same destination. “I picked one guy from Wetherfield and dropped off in Dover. Same guy with my company, they picked other guy from same place, going to same place.

Why they booked two cabs for two persons? No, it's no sense to waste money like this,” he said.

Robinson’s recorded footage highlighted the driver’s complaints about repeated journeys and unnecessary spending. “Sometimes, the fares up to £300 a time, even when they're going to the same hotels, they're given their own taxis, all paid for by YOU,” Robinson wrote on X.The driver also spoke about the demands of his own work. “Eight hours, 10 hours… 10 hours a day.

Per day, yeah,” he said, adding that he sometimes works longer due to insufficient work. He contrasted his own labour with what he perceives as inactivity at the refugee centre. “They need to do something. Yeah. Like, uh, they take everything. Everything,” he said.He went on to describe inefficiencies at multiple stages of resettlement. “All over England, all the refugees. First come Braintree, Wetherfield. Two, three months, after three months, they give them apartments far away from Braintree.

And they live there for one, two months. Apartment finished, new person come. All the furniture waste, new furniture come for new people. Ah. Crazy.”Robinson used the driver’s comments as claimed evidence of taxpayer money being misused. “Horrendous,” the driver said. “It doesn't matter like, because I'm paying taxes. You are paying taxes. We are both equal in same right. So something happened to me, this code, this law, this country.”