Described as “luxury living” by the company that leases it, a barge set to house 500 asylum seekers has arrived in the UK.
The barge has been towed from its former berth in Italy, arriving in the port of Falmouth, Cornwall, in the early hours of Tuesday.
Set to be eventually stationed in Portland, Dorset, the three-story Bibby Stockholm is proposed as an alternative to housing refugees and asylum seekers in hotels. Only “single adult males” are to be housed onboard, the Home Office has confirmed.
Operated by Liverpool-based Bibby Marine Limited, the 93m-long vessel will remain in Falmouth while works are carried out, before being moved onto its final destination.
With “natural ventilation and wifi connection throughout”, it holds up to 506 across 222 bedrooms.
The barge will “provide basic and functional accommodation, and healthcare provision, catering facilities and 24/7 security will be in place on board, to minimise the disruption to local communities”, a Home Office spokesperson said.
The Independent previously revealed that asylum seekers will have less living space than an average parking bay on the Bibby Stockholm, which saw at least one person die and reports of rape and abuse on board when it was used by the Dutch government to detain migrants in the 2000s.
The Bibby Stockholm was used to detain asylum seekers in the Netherlands in the 2000s, but was taken out of service after an undercover investigation by a Dutch newspaper uncovered mistreatment by prison officers, rapes by migrants and fire safety failings.
Several migrants imprisoned on ships in the Netherlands are reported to have died, including an Algerian man on the Bibby Stockholm in 2008.
After a refurbishment, it was used as accommodation for Petrofac workers constructing a gas plant in Shetland.
These pictures from inside the barge show bedrooms, an eating area and a gym.
But mayor of Portland Peter Roper has expressed concern over the “basic” healthcare facilities offered onboard. He told BBC Radio 4 Today’s programme that Portland’s health services have already “diminished” over the years.
“The fact sheet (about barge facilities) does say basic healthcare facilities ... there’s not (any) definition of that,” he said.
“If there’s anything more serious, the individuals on the barge will probably have to go over to Weymouth or the Dorset General Hospital up in Dorchester. It’s not just putting a load on the area of Portland but also on south Dorset itself.”
According to The Times, the Portland Port has looked to deter anti-migrant demonstrations – which are expected in protest at the barge’s presence – from targeting the arrival of tourists coming into the area on cruise ships.
The newspaper said the south Dorset harbour usually advertises the arrival and departure dates on its website of the 40 or more cruises set to dock at the port during the year.
But The Times said that, after criticism of its plans to allow the Bibby Stockholm to moor in its waters, the port’s website has removed the dates.
The media outlet cited a source involved in the planning as saying the dates were taken down because of concerns that far-right activists could organise anti-migrant protests on days when thousands of tourists are due to arrive on cruise ships.
A Portland Port spokesperson, when asked about the report, said: “All cruise calls are proceeding as normal at Portland Port but arrivals and departures are subject to change, as they are at any port.
“Therefore, it is best to contact the cruise line involved for the most up-to-date information.”
