Just Stop Oil protesters have blockaded a coach they say was taking migrants to the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge.
Asylum seekers have been forced to return to the barge in Dorset this week more than two months after it was evacuated following the discovery of legionella bacteria in the water supply.
Protesters with the group said: “We know that our government’s plan for new oil and gas is going to lead to more people being displaced from their homes.
"Forced from where they have lived for generations due to the actions of our failing politicians. People coming to the UK must be met with common humanity, and not housed in prison ships."
The group unfurled a banner reading "no prison ships’ in front of the coach and said two of its members have been arrested.
The Standard has contacted Dorset Police for comment.
People protesting also gathered at the gates of Portland Port on Thursday as asylum seekers were brought back on board.
A Home Office spokeswoman said that tests for bacteria in the water supply, as well as improved fire safety protocols, had been completed ahead of the return of the occupants to the barge.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that of the 39 people removed from the vessel in August, 29 would be returning.
Others had found accommodation with relatives, one had returned to their home country and others had mental health issues exempting them from staying on the barge.
Annika, of Portland Global Friendship Group, who was among the protesters at the gate, helped produce "welcome bags" for the arrivals which included shampoo, toothpaste, notebooks and a map of the local area.
She said: "We just want to welcome the refugees and make a gesture to show there are people here who care.
"I think the barge is a horrible idea, it feels very oppressive, it feels like a prison here with the amount of security that they have to go through."
The Home Office said it had been working with Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to address safety concerns, including the creation of a fourth gangway.
All staff members involved in fire evacuation had received accredited fire warden training and would undergo regular drills, a spokeswoman said.
She added that those being brought to the Bibby Stockholm would be given five days' notice, with each individual being assessed against a suitability criteria and screened against police and immigration databases.
The spokeswoman said: "The Government is committed to ending the use of expensive hotels for asylum seekers.
"Moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation sites, like the Bibby Stockholm, is more affordable for taxpayers and more manageable for communities, with on-site healthcare and catering facilities."
