Asylum seekers set to move on to Bibby Stockholm barge ‘next week’ after delays
Asylum seekers could be moved on to the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge next week, Sky News understands.
The vessel, which is currently docked in Portland on the coast of Dorset, was supposed to start accepting arrivals last week, but was pushed back.
Sky News reported that the first people would then move on to the barge on Tuesday this week – but that also was held up after last minute meetings were held responding to fire safety concerns.
A government source said the first arrivals could now come “next week”, as the local council in Portland “doesn’t want new services beginning on a Thursday or Friday”.
The source said the delay was because “working practices for port workers have to be signed off for the health and safety executive” – and not because there were “fire safety issues”, as had been reported.
Transport minister Richard Holden told Sky News this morning that the barge was going through its “final checks” but would not confirm if it was safety fears causing the hold up.
However, he added: “It is right that whatever accommodation we provide is safe and secure as well.
“I can’t put a timeline on it… the checks are going to take as long as they are going to take. It is important we get these things right.”
Labour’s shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said the latest delay showed the Conservatives were “failing in absolutely every single way” in dealing with the number of asylum cases coming through the system.
“The hotels are absolutely chock-full of asylum seekers because [the government] are failing to process these cases,” he told Sky News.
“The Rwanda scheme is just never going to work – it’s just a gimmick to grab the headlines rather than deal with the problem. And now we’re seeing the same problem with the barge as well.”
The 222-bedroom Bibby Stockholm will start housing 50 single men initially before housing up to 500 people who are currently staying in hotels.
Protesters in Portland in Dorset after the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge arrived from dry dock in Falmouth, Cornwall
The barge will have 24-hour security and accommodate single men only, who will sleep in bunk beds with between two and six people per en-suite room.
The vessel has attracted a backlash from Tory MPs, including Richard Drax, who represents South Dorset, and Chris Loder, for West Dorset, who has demanded to see safety reports and claimed it is going to house double the amount of people it is designed to hold.
Ben Selby, the assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, criticised what he called “a reckless approach to the safety and well-being of both vulnerable refugees and firefighters” after the fire safety concerns were raised.
“The Home Office has declared that this plan is a cheaper option for housing asylum seekers,” he said.
“This is a damning indictment of the prevailing attitude that saving money is the highest priority, with people’s lives treated as collateral damage.
“Everyone has the right to live in safe accommodation and we back the calls urging these plans are abandoned immediately.”
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What is it like onboard the Bibby Stockholm?
Asked about the fire safety issue today, Rishi Sunak said: “All migrant accommodation has to go through a series of checks and inspections to make sure it complies with regulations.
“That’s what’s happening in this case.
“This is ultimately about fairness. I don’t think it’s fair that British taxpayers are forking out £6m a day to house illegal migrants in hotels.
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“I want to put an end to that – and that’s why we’re passing new laws.”
Mr Sunak said the Illegal Migration Act – which became law late last month – was the “right, fair and compassionate” thing to do.
It will mean that anyone arriving in the UK illegally will be ineligible to claim asylum.
It will also place on the home secretary a duty to remove illegal immigrants to their home country or a safe third country such as Rwanda – a policy that is currently held up in the courts.
Meanwhile, migrants who arrive in the UK illegally will be banned from returning in the future and will also limit the legal routes for appeal against a removal order.
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Starmer and Zelenskyy discuss ending Russia’s ‘brutal war’ – as Putin says says he is open to bilateral talks on longer ceasefire
Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about ending Russia’s “brutal war” on Ukraine in their latest phone call on Easter Monday, as Vladimir Putin said he was open to bilateral talks.
The prime minister and Ukrainian president spoke on Monday afternoon, when Sir Keir “reiterated his iron-clad support for Ukraine“.
A Downing Street spokesperson added that the prime minister “said that the UK supports Ukraine’s calls for Russia to commit to a full ceasefire and that now is the time for Putin to show he is serious about ending his brutal war”.
“They discussed the latest developments on the Coalition of the Willing, and looked forward to further progress towards a just and lasting peace,” the spokesperson added.
Mr Zelenskyy later said on social media that he had a “good and detailed conversation” with the prime minister, and added Ukrainian officials will be in London for talks on ending the war with Russia on Wednesday.
“We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace,” he added.
The Ukrainian president added that the 30-hour Easter truce, which both Kyiv and Moscow accuse the other of violating, showed that Russia “are prolonging the war”.
It comes as Mr Putin proposed bilateral talks with Ukraine on a longer ceasefire, which would mark the first time Russia held such talks since a failed peace deal soon after the invasion in 2022.
Speaking to a state TV reporter, the Russian president said: “We always have a positive attitude towards a truce, which is why we came up with such an initiative (the Easter truce), especially since we are talking about the bright Easter days.”
When asked about Mr Zelenskyy’s calls to extend the 30-hour ceasefire into a 30-day pause on civilian targets, he added: “This is all a subject for careful study, perhaps even bilaterally. We do not rule this out.”
The Ukrainian president said on Sunday evening that the Russian army had “violated Putin’s ceasefire more than 2,000 times” during the day, and accused Russia of “failing” to “uphold its own promise of a ceasefire”.
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From Saturday: Why Putin offered an Easter truce?
It also comes after Donald Trump has said he hopes Russia and Ukraine “will make a deal this week,” after he and his secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that the US will walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress soon.
The US president said on his Truth Social platform that both countries would “start to do big business” with the US after ending the war.
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Last month, Ukraine accepted Mr Trump’s proposal for a 30-day truce, but Mr Putin refused to back a full 30-day ceasefire, saying crucial issues of verification had not been sorted out.
He then said he would agree not to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. However, both sides have accused each other of breaking the moratorium on attacks on energy targets and at sea.
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