The roommate of a fellow asylum seeker who is believed to have taken his own life on the controversial barge housing migrants has warned others may harm themselves if conditions on the vessel do not improve.
Yusuf Deen Kargbo, who came to the UK from Sierra Leone, shared a room on the Bibby Stockholm with Leonard Farruku, an Albanian migrant who was found unresponsive on board the vessel at Portland Port in Dorset on 12 December.
An inquest opened by Dorset coroner Rachael Griffin heard that a post-mortem examination found 27-year-old Mr Farruku had died from “compression of the neck” caused by “suspension by ligature”.
Speaking as the funeral for Mr Farruku was due to take place in Albania on Wednesday, Mr Kargbo said he knew others on board who were struggling, telling the BBC: "They're saying this is just the beginning.
“They are trying to give a warning, that place is not good for them. Every day their stress is increasing, getting worse.”
Leonard Farruku, an Albanian asylum seeker who died aboard the Bibby Stockholm barge— (PA)
Mr Kargbo told the BBC that people on the barge “don’t have any hope for their lives”.
Recalling Mr Farruku's time on the Bibby Stockholm, Mr Kargbo said the 27-year-old was a quiet person who "liked to be by himself", but didn't seem to be unhappy.
"I heard him laughing on his phone, sometimes until one or two o’clock at night, I thought he was maybe watching a comedy video on his phone, having a fun time," he said.
Mr Kargbo, who shared the room with Mr Farruku 10 days before he died, was moved to a hotel just under a week after his death but said he remains in a messaging group with other migrants on board.
The Bibby Stockholm barge, which is moored in Dorset— (PA Wire)
Coroner Rachael Griffin said there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Farruku's death and the Home Office said there were “rigorous safeguarding processes in place” on the accommodation.
The inquest, at Dorset Coroner’s Court in Bournemouth, was told that Mr Farruku’s body was formally identified by his cousin, Maranglen Farruku, at the Holly Tree Lodge mortuary in Bournemouth.
Ms Griffin adjourned the hearing until a pre-inquest review to be held on 9 July.
No family members were present at the hearing, but Mr Farruku's sister has previously said her brother raised concerns with her about how migrants on board were being treated. She told The Telegraph: “When I spoke with him last time, he told me that the conditions in that boat were not bad but they were treated by the guards “like animals.”
It comes as the government’s controversial plan to send asylum seekers and migrants to Rwanda has returned to the headlines.
Conservative MPs on the right of the party have tabled a series of amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill - which is due to be voted on next week - which they hope will toughen up the legislation and make it more difficult for asylum seekers to appeal their deportation in the courts.
Dozens of Tories have backed amendments to the bill which would effectively ignore international law and severely limit individual migrants’ ability to resist being put on a flight to Kigali.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with everyone affected. This is being investigated by the police and coroner.
“We take the welfare of those in our care very seriously, and have rigorous safeguarding processes in place. Any concerns raised about the service delivered on the barge are swiftly addressed through our work with the provider, and Migrant Help 24/7 is also available every day of the year.”
