Asylum seekers costing taxpayers $4 million to ride public transport at cut-price rates

NSW taxpayers are forking out more than $4 million a year for asylum seekers living in the community to ride Sydney’s trains, buses and ferries at cut-price rates, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.

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NSW taxpayers are forking out more than $4 million a year for asylum seekers living in the community to ride Sydney’s trains, buses and ferries at cut-price rates.

The state government scheme grants foreigners who have arrived illegally the same gold Opal card reserved for seniors and aged pensioners.

The gold card entitles “illegal maritime arrivals” to unlimited train travel for just $2.50 a day, despite the fact that under federal laws, access to social security and family assistance payments are usually restricted to Australian permanent residents or citizens.

Commuters who lose their Opal card and are seeking a replacement are asked by an automated telephone answering service if they are a “pensioner, senior or asylum seeker”.

Illegal asylum seekers are given gold Opal cards for unlimited travel, costing taxpayers $4 million a year.

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More than 6000 “illegal maritime arrivals” live in the community in NSW, the latest figures from the Department of Home Affairs show. Another 27,931 illegal arrivals came by plane.

The scheme, introduced by the Baird government, costs about $4 million a year for asylum seekers, a transport spokeswoman confirmed.

Asylum seekers have to be getting aid from a charity to qualify.

Wentworthville, Auburn and Lakemba are home to the most asylum seekers living in the community in NSW. Most are living on “Bridging E” visas and are from Iran, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Full fare-paying Opal card holders have to pay $10.10 for a return Opal trip from Wentworthville to Central, or $50.50 a week.

NSW One Nation candidate Mark Latham said taxpayers would be outraged asylum seekers are travelling at a cheaper price and don’t even have status in Australia. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Transport Minister Andrew Constance declined to comment on the issue. Picture: AAP Image/ Joel Carrett

The former Gillard government gave asylum seekers bridging visas while waiting for their refugee appeals. They are not allowed to work or get the dole, but can apply for money under the “Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme”.

Upper house One Nation candidate Mark Latham said: “Taxpayers would be thinking why am I working hard, sitting here on my increasingly crowded train trying to get to my job paying full rates and others who don’t even have status … get subsidised.”

Satjya Marar, director of policy at the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, questioned whether the concessions should be means tested.

“The concern is that it creates incentives not to come here in an orderly legal way through migration,” he said.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance declined to comment on Sunday night.

Originally published as Asylum seekers costing taxpayers $4 million to ride public transport at cut-price rates