A huge floating barge set to house hundreds of male asylum seekers has arrived at its final destination in on the Dorset coast this morning, with furious locals gathering to oppose the move.
The Bibby Stockholm, a three-storey, 93-metre long accomodation vessel, is capable of housing up to 500 migrants.
It set sail from Falmouth in Cornwall yesterday to its final destination of Portland. But the move has triggered protests from locals who are fearful about the impact the new arrivals will have on the town’s community.
This morning a crowd of people were seen holding signs saying ‘no the the barge’, ‘Portland Port betrays Portland’ and ‘Portland betrayed’ outside Portland Port near Weymouth as they awaited the vessels arrival.
Local politicians have slammed the plans as ‘cruel and unusual’ adding that the community does not have the right infrastructure to house more people in the area.
The Bibby Stockholm (pictured arriving in Dorset this morning) is a huge migrant barge capable of housing up to 500 migrants.
This morning a crowd of people were seen holding signs saying ‘no the the barge’, ‘Portland Port betrays Portland’ and ‘Portland betrayed’ outside Portland Port near Weymouth as they awaited the vessels arrival
Protesters outside Portland Port near Weymouth, Dorset this morning
Portland Town Mayor Carralyn Parkes told BBC Radio 4: ‘Our position as a town council on the barge remains unchanged since the Home Office and Portland Port decided to inflict this on us.
‘It is cruel and unusual to detain asylum seekers on a barge and Portland does not have the infrastructure in terms of hospitals and facilities to house an extra 500 people.’
Two separate groups gathered at the edge of the port this morning, including Stand Up to Racism and NO TO THE BARGE group.
The barge had been held in Falmouth for a refit to upgrade its accommodation after being delayed by a month due to maritime inspections. Poor weather conditions also added to the delays.
It comes as The Illegal Migration Bill, which is central to the Prime Minister’s plans to ‘stop the boats’ crossing the English Channel, is set to become law after the House of Lords voted it through last night.
The Bill is part of a package of measures designed to deter migrants from crossing the channel by making it clear that if people enter the UK by irregular means, they will not be able to remain and will face being sent either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda.
The deal to send migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda has been mired in legal difficulties and will end up in the Supreme Court. It was last month branded unlawful by judges at the Court of Appeal.
With a backlog of asylum cases in the UK, the Government is also seeking to cut the cost of hotel bills by using alternative accommodation including the Bibby Stockholm and former military bases.
The Bibby Stockholm under tow as it approaches Portland Port near Weymouth in Dorset
Police officers speaking to protesters Portland Port near Weymouth in Dorset
Councils and campaigners have been given the green light to bring a High Court challenge against housing migrants on the disused airfields.
Braintree District Council and a nearby resident are bringing legal action to challenge the use of Wethersfield in Essex to house up to 1,700 men while West Lindsey District Council is challenging similar plans for RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.
Dozens of asylum seekers have already been moved into Wethersfield. The first migrants are expected to board the Bibby Stockholm later this month. But the ship’s arrival angered locals, who protested against plans to have it docked in Portland.
Two protest groups – No to the Barge and Stand Up to Racism – have voiced their objections about the boat being moored in Portland alongside residents, the MP for Dorset South, Dorset Council and NHS Dorset.
Chief among their concerns is the sudden impact the introduction of 500 people will have on the local community.
Locals fear that already over-stretched services, including GP surgeries, won’t be able to cope with the influx.
Many have voiced worries about an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour, risk to their personal safety and the impact on tourism.
But Downing Street yesterday defended the use of accommodation barges for migrants, insisting it is a cheaper alternative to housing them in hotels.
Asked whether Rishi Sunak had a message to people in Portland Port, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: ‘I think it’s right for the public as a whole that we move away from a situation where £6million a day of taxpayers’ money is going towards housing these individuals in hotels.
‘That’s not a good use of money and obviously that puts unplanned pressure on local areas as well.
