Bibby Stockholm: Barge set to house asylum seekers arrives in UK waters
A giant barge which will be used to house asylum seekers off the Dorset coast has arrived in UK waters.
The Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge will stop in Falmouth, Cornwall, where it will undergo inspection and refitting.
The 222-bedroom, three-storey vessel, will house around 500 single male asylum seekers when it is in position in Portland Port, off the Dorset coastal town of Weymouth.
It will be ready for use this summer and will be operational for at least 18 months.
The barge will stop in Falmouth, Cornwall, to be refurbished
The 222-bedroom will be positioned in Portland Port, off the coastal town of Weymouth
The Bibby Stockholm will be ready for use this summer, according to officials
The Home Office said the accommodation will be “basic” with healthcare provision, catering facilities and 24/7 security, at a reported cost of £20,000 a day.
It did not say how much the lease agreement cost but insisted it is “significantly cheaper than hotels”.
However, the plan has faced criticism from Tory-run Dorset Council and local Conservative MP Richard Drax.
Facilities on board the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge. Pic: Bibby Marine Ltd
Dining facilities on board the Bibby Stockholm. Pic: Bibby Marine Ltd
Mr Drax threatened legal action over the ‘floatel’, sparking fears of fresh tensions in the Conservative Party.
The South Dorset MP, who has previously backed rigorous measures to cut the UK’s level of immigration, said the barge was “dumped on our door” without consultation by the Home Office and urged Home Secretary Suella Braverman to scrap the idea.
In April, Mr Drax described the Portland Port site as a “very, very restricted area” and raised concerns about keeping hundreds of vulnerable people there, which he said would place pressure on the port’s “very small” police force.
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He told Sky News those being accommodated on the barge would be bussed in from the port to nearby Portland Harbour, which is a “summer resort dependent almost entirely on visitors and tourists” with busy beaches not far away.
The government is also facing criticism from charities and human rights campaigners who said the accommodation is not appropriate for people fleeing war.
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Why do migrants cross the Channel?
Liverpool-based operator Bibby Marine Limited said last month that the barge had been refurbished since it was described as an “oppressive environment” used for asylum seekers in the Netherlands.
Portland Port chief executive Bill Reeves said: “We encourage everyone in the community to approach this with an open mind and help us show other areas just how successful this type of initiative can be, both for the migrants and the local community.”
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously said the barge would save taxpayers’ money, with the government currently spending around £6m a day housing asylum seekers in hotels.
The Times previously reported that the vessel would cost £15,000 a day to charter, while the cost of berthing it in Portland would be more than £4,500 a day.
Additional costs would be required for services, including security and catering.
However, Labour said the barge is in addition to, not instead of, hotel accommodation.
Last year 45,755 people crossed the Channel in small boats, while more than 6,000 have arrived so far this year.
A woman who was stabbed to death in north London has been named by police – as a man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Pamela Munro, 45, was found with a stab wound and died at the scene in Ayley Croft, Enfield, on Saturday evening, the Metropolitan Police said.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday and is in custody, the force added.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: “Investigating officers have worked relentlessly across the weekend to investigate the circumstances around Pamela’s death.
“We continue to support her family who are understandably devastated.”
Police at the scene at Ayley Croft in Enfield
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The Met Police has asked anyone with information or who was driving through Ayley Court between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and may have dashcam footage to contact the force.
A “British man” has died after being beaten and set on fire by a mob in Ecuador, according to reports by media in the South American country.
According to reports, the man – who has not been officially identified – had been detained by police after being accused of being involved in a fatal shooting.
Ecuadorian news outlet Ecuavisa reported that the man had been taken to a police station Playas del Cuyabeno, a remote village in the Amazon rainforest.
While there, a group broke into the station and took the man away. He was then set on fire in the street, it is reported, and died from his burns.
The incident reportedly happened in the Playas del Cuyabeno area of Sucumbios province
Another local report, from EXTRA.ec, said that specialist police units had been slow to arrive due to the geographical conditions of the area – which is accessible by river.
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According to reports, police officers at the station apparently decided they could not intervene when the mob arrived out of concerns for their own safety.
It is understood the UK Foreign Office is following up reports about the incident and working with local authorities to confirm the details.
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