Post by bluetornados on Apr 5, 2023 17:42:28 GMT
Barge to house 500 male migrants off Dorset coast, says government..
ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/490/cpsprodpb/2D80/production/_129284611_094bc810e90fd429514534ed8d750ddc17aa10f5.jpg
About 500 adult male migrants will be housed in a barge on the Dorset coast "in the coming months", the government has confirmed.
The plans have been criticised by local groups, refugee charities and Conservative MP Richard Drax, who said "every action's being looked at", including a legal case.
The vessel called Bibby Stockholm will be "significantly cheaper than hotels", says the Home Office.
The government has not given a costing.
The three-storey barge, which will be located at Portland Port off the coastal town of Weymouth, will be used to house single migrants while they are waiting for their asylum claims to be processed. It will operate for at least 18 months.
As well as providing basic and functional accommodation, healthcare and catering, the berthed vessel will have security on board to minimise disruption to local communities, says the Home Office.
The boat, with 222 rooms, has been refurbished since it was criticised as an "oppressive environment" when the Dutch government used it for asylum seekers.
It now has en-suite rooms, a TV and games room and a gym, according to a fact sheet from its owners, Bibby Marine.
Housing migrants in hotels costs more than £6m a day, says the Home Office.
Refugee groups have called the plan "completely inadequate", while councillors from the local area - which is popular with tourists - have opposed the proposals.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the plans would save taxpayer money and reduce pressure on hotels, adding: "It's part of our broader plan to stop the boats."
"It can't be right" that the country is spending so much on housing migrants in hotels, the PM told reporters in Peterborough.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick have both been instrumental in the plans.
It is the first time that migrants will be housed in a berthed vessel in the UK.
The Home Office said it was in discussion with other ports and further vessels would be announced "in due course".
Charities and local councillors have opposed the plans, with the Refugee Council saying the barge will be "completely inadequate" to house "vulnerable people".
"A floating barge does not provide what they need nor the respect, dignity and support they deserve," said chief executive Enver Solomon.
Amnesty International called for the plans to be abandoned, and said use of the barge to house migrants was a "ministerial cruelty".
Dorset Council said it had "serious reservations" about the suitability of Portland Port as a location, adding: "We remain opposed to the proposals."
The British Red Cross said that docked barges did not "offer the supportive environment that people coping with the trauma of having to flee their homes need".
Christina Marriott, the charity's executive director of strategy and communications, called for a "more effective and compassionate asylum system" that would help people integrate into a community.
Mr Drax, whose constituency includes Portland, told BBC News on Tuesday he was "very concerned" about the impact on the area which "relies on small businesses".
This comes weeks after the government announced plans to tackle small boat crossings through the Illegal Immigration Bill.
The legislation would mean anyone found to have entered the country illegally would not only be removed from the UK within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.
Bill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, said he encouraged "everyone in the community to approach this with an open mind", adding that during the vessel's preparation there would be close ties with the local community and voluntary groups.
Meanwhile, Labour criticised the plans, with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper calling the announcement a sign of the government's "failure to clear the asylum backlog".
She said: "This barge is in addition to hotels, not instead of them, and is still more than twice as expensive as normal asylum accommodation."
Speaking ahead of the announcement, the leader of the Liberal Democrats expressed his "worry" that the government was imposing this on local communities.
Sir Ed Davey said the Conservatives should "process applications quickly" to ensure "refugees could then get on with their lives".
ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/490/cpsprodpb/2D80/production/_129284611_094bc810e90fd429514534ed8d750ddc17aa10f5.jpg
About 500 adult male migrants will be housed in a barge on the Dorset coast "in the coming months", the government has confirmed.
The plans have been criticised by local groups, refugee charities and Conservative MP Richard Drax, who said "every action's being looked at", including a legal case.
The vessel called Bibby Stockholm will be "significantly cheaper than hotels", says the Home Office.
The government has not given a costing.
The three-storey barge, which will be located at Portland Port off the coastal town of Weymouth, will be used to house single migrants while they are waiting for their asylum claims to be processed. It will operate for at least 18 months.
As well as providing basic and functional accommodation, healthcare and catering, the berthed vessel will have security on board to minimise disruption to local communities, says the Home Office.
The boat, with 222 rooms, has been refurbished since it was criticised as an "oppressive environment" when the Dutch government used it for asylum seekers.
It now has en-suite rooms, a TV and games room and a gym, according to a fact sheet from its owners, Bibby Marine.
Housing migrants in hotels costs more than £6m a day, says the Home Office.
Refugee groups have called the plan "completely inadequate", while councillors from the local area - which is popular with tourists - have opposed the proposals.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the plans would save taxpayer money and reduce pressure on hotels, adding: "It's part of our broader plan to stop the boats."
"It can't be right" that the country is spending so much on housing migrants in hotels, the PM told reporters in Peterborough.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick have both been instrumental in the plans.
It is the first time that migrants will be housed in a berthed vessel in the UK.
The Home Office said it was in discussion with other ports and further vessels would be announced "in due course".
Charities and local councillors have opposed the plans, with the Refugee Council saying the barge will be "completely inadequate" to house "vulnerable people".
"A floating barge does not provide what they need nor the respect, dignity and support they deserve," said chief executive Enver Solomon.
Amnesty International called for the plans to be abandoned, and said use of the barge to house migrants was a "ministerial cruelty".
Dorset Council said it had "serious reservations" about the suitability of Portland Port as a location, adding: "We remain opposed to the proposals."
The British Red Cross said that docked barges did not "offer the supportive environment that people coping with the trauma of having to flee their homes need".
Christina Marriott, the charity's executive director of strategy and communications, called for a "more effective and compassionate asylum system" that would help people integrate into a community.
Mr Drax, whose constituency includes Portland, told BBC News on Tuesday he was "very concerned" about the impact on the area which "relies on small businesses".
This comes weeks after the government announced plans to tackle small boat crossings through the Illegal Immigration Bill.
The legislation would mean anyone found to have entered the country illegally would not only be removed from the UK within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.
Bill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, said he encouraged "everyone in the community to approach this with an open mind", adding that during the vessel's preparation there would be close ties with the local community and voluntary groups.
Meanwhile, Labour criticised the plans, with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper calling the announcement a sign of the government's "failure to clear the asylum backlog".
She said: "This barge is in addition to hotels, not instead of them, and is still more than twice as expensive as normal asylum accommodation."
Speaking ahead of the announcement, the leader of the Liberal Democrats expressed his "worry" that the government was imposing this on local communities.
Sir Ed Davey said the Conservatives should "process applications quickly" to ensure "refugees could then get on with their lives".
