The Scottish Greens have accused the Tories of “fanning the flames of hate and division” in a bid to win votes from Nigel Farage’s Reform.
While Labour described them as “desperate” and “nasty.”
But Shadow finance secretary Craig Hoy insisted the other parties in Holyrood were “completely disconnected” from the public on the issue.
He argued that the money set aside for the scheme should instead be used to give “thousands of Scots pensioners a winter fuel payment right now.”
However, it is not clear how the funding allocated in the budget — which has yet to be approved by MSPs — for the next financial year, could be used to pay for additional spending this year.
READ MORE
Mr Hoy said the Finance Secretary Shona Robison was “squandering taxpayers’ money.”
He added: “That’s why we’re forcing a vote on this budget measure this week in Parliament to show it is only the Scottish Conservatives who are on the side of the public on this issue.
“The SNP and the other left-wing parties at Holyrood are completely disconnected from Scots and believe this policy is the right thing to do. We disagree.
“The £2 million earmarked to dish out free bus passes to asylum seekers would be better off giving thousands of Scots pensioners a winter fuel payment right now.”
Scottish Refugee Council’s policy and public affairs specialist Daniel O’Malley told The Herald it should not be a choice between supporting one vulnerable group or another.
He said: “People seeking asylum are banned from working and living on as little as £1.36 a day. Access to bus travel means they will no longer have to choose between buying food or travelling to a doctor’s appointment.
“There is really strong cross-party support around improving life for people in the UK asylum system in Scotland.
“That includes a general consensus that, when it comes to supporting the most vulnerable members of our society, it is not a choice between one group or another.”
Scottish Greens social security spokesperson Maggie Chapman said: “This is just typical nasty and cynical politics from a toxic Tory Party that would rather pit marginalised groups against each other than work to provide solutions.
“The Scottish Greens brought a vote on this policy only a matter of weeks ago, and MSPs from across the chamber overwhelmingly backed it.
“It is a small and compassionate step that will make a big difference to the lives of people who have been forced into state-sanctioned poverty by a punishing and cruel system and successive Westminster governments.”
She added: “They are using the rights of people seeking asylum as a political football. It is a transparent attempt to fan the flames of hate and division in a bid to win far right votes from Reform.
“The Tories have tried to pretend that this is about supporting pensioners, but if that were remotely true they wouldn’t have spent the last 14 years wrecking our economy and inflicting cuts and austerity on vulnerable people.“
Scottish Labour Social Justice spokesperson Paul O’Kane described the motion as a “desperate bid for relevance from a Scottish Tory party with nothing positive to offer the people of Scotland.”
He added: “Under Russell Findlay’s leadership, the Tories are determined to remain the nasty party of Scottish politics.”
READ MORE
Polls suggest that the free bus travel for asylum seekers is unpopular. A Norstat survey for the Sunday Times over the weekend found that it was backed by only 25% of people, while 48% opposed.
However, campaigners say it is a vital service that would stop people being forced to choose between eating and using public transport to get meetings with GPs and lawyers, particularly in rural areas.
The Home Office provides £49.18 per week to asylum seekers in self-catered accommodation, while those in hotels get £8.86 per week.
A First Glasgow day ticket is £5.60. The same ticket type for Lothian Buses costs £5.
