The Bibby Stockholm migrant barge has arrived at Dorset port where it will house 500 asylum seekers after more than a month of delays.
It is expected to house the first migrants later this month, with Rish Sunak’s bid to “stop the boats” crossing the Channel behind schedule.
Protesters gathered at the quayside on Tuesday morning as the barge was pulled by tug boat Mercia into Dorset’s Portland Port.
Pictures show dozens of demonstrators holding placards with messages including “refugees welcome”, “no prison barge”, and “stand up to racism – refugees and migrants welcome here”.
Campaign group ‘No to the Barge’ said it had “spotters out from the early hours and protests beginning soon after” at the port, ready to “showcase” its opposition to the Bibby Stockholm.
A spokesperson said on Twitter: “This scheme prioritises profit over people, barely papers over the deep cracks in the UK Asylum System and has severed the Ports relationship with local residents.”
In another tweet, they added: “At the end of March 2023, 172,758 people were waiting an initial Asylum decision.
“The barge will accommodate 500. That is 0.28%. 345 barges would be needed. #notothebarge”.
Downing Street has defended the use of barges to house migrants and insists it is a cheaper alternative to using hotels.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesperson said: "I think it's right for the public as a whole that we move away from a situation where £6m 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.
"We think it is better to open specific sites designed to house immigrants that come in, done in a more planned way.
"That's what we are seeking to do with the Bibby Stockholm and that's what we're seeking to do in other parts of the country - opening up sites to take the pressure off local areas and to reduce the cost."
The Bibby barge left Falmouth, Cornwall, on Monday after undergoing work to prepare it for its new role— (PA)
Bibby Stockholm’s arrival in Dorset - which has been opposed by the local MP and residents - came hours after the government’s Illegal Migration Bill passed the Lords.
Monday night proved eventful for Parliament, with the Tory frontbench seeing off five further changes being sought by the unelected chamber to the Bill, including modern slavery protections and child protections.
At least one other vote was ditched in the face of the government victories.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who has been a strident critic of the Bill, also dropped his demand for a statement on tackling the refugee problem and human trafficking to the UK, after a similar proposal was rejected by MPs.
It marked a shock ending to the parliamentary tussle over the flagship reforms that had threatened to go to the wire ahead of the summer recess.
Protesters previously gathered near Portland Port last week— (Getty Images)
With the stand-off between the chamber and MPs coming to an end, it paves the way for the Bill to receive royal assent.
The reforms are a key part of Mr Sunak’s bid to deter people from making hazardous Channel crossings.
They aim to prevent people from claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means.
The government also hopes the changes will ensure detained people are promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda, which is currently the subject of a legal challenge.
But the Bill encountered fierce opposition in the upper chamber, which was accused of trying to “drive a coach and horses” through the contentious plans.
The first asylum seekers are expected to board the Bibby Stockholm later this month— (PA)
In turn, the government faced claims of seeking to deliver a “punishment beating” to peers for challenging the plans.
Ministers had urged the Lords to allow the Bill to become law after signalling no further concessions were planned and MPs again overturned a raft of revisions previously made by the upper chamber.
Home Office minister Lord Murray of Blidworth said the number of small boat arrivals had “overwhelmed” the UK’s asylum system and was costing taxpayers £6 million a day to provide accommodation.
He told peers: “With over 45,000 people making dangerous Channel crossings last year this is simply no longer sustainable.
“If people know there is no way for them to stay in the UK, they won’t risk their lives and pay criminals thousands of pounds to arrive here illegally.
“It is therefore only right that we stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people, ultimately enabling the government to have greater capacity to provide a safe haven for those at risk of war and persecution.”
He urged the Lords to “respect the will of the elected House and the British people by passing this Bill”.
The government is seeking to cut the cost of hotel bills by using alternative accommodation including the Bibby Stockholm and former military bases— (PA)
But while he agreed on the need to stop the small boat crossings, Mr Welby said: “I fail to see how this (the Bill) does it and I have not heard anything to convince me.
“But that is the view of the other place. I agree that in the end on most things, except the most essential, that this House must give way to the other place.”
He added: “The problem with the Bill is that it has not started at the right place. Where it needed to start with is... to have a level of national consensus and agreement on what the aim of our migration policy and immigration policy is in the long term.”
The reforms are a key part of Mr Sunak’s bid to deter people from making hazardous Channel crossings— (Getty Images)
The Bibby barge left Falmouth, Cornwall, on Monday after undergoing work to prepare it for its new role.
But locals in Dorset have raised concerns about the Portland site being used to house asylum seekers.
Downing Street defended the use of barges to house migrants, insisting it is a cheaper alternative to housing them in hotels.
The first asylum seekers are expected to board the Bibby Stockholm later this month.
