Plans to house asylum seekers in a barge moored off Wirral have been scrapped, according to reports.
Sky News reports that plans to use a vessel to house asylum seekers in the vicinity of the Wirral Waters regeneration project in Birkenhead will not proceed after the plan was rejected by Peel Ports, who operate the waters. The barge was planned to hold 500 asylum seekers and was one of seven that the government wanted to use.
The news comes after politicians and protesters condemned the plans. In April, Mick Whitley, Angela Eagle, and Margaret Greenwood, the MPs for Birkenhead, Wallasey and Wirral West, issued a joint statement, which said: “We owe a duty of care towards those who come to the UK fleeing conflict and persecution.
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"Instead, this government is abandoning its responsibilities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people claiming asylum in the UK. Government policy is now being driven by a sense of wanton cruelty without any intention of trying to secure positive outcomes for those involved.”
Minister for Immigration Robert Jenrick confirmed the plans to the House of Commons on May 25. He said: “We have not made a final decision to place a vessel in Birkenhead port.
“However, we have identified the port as a potentially viable location and are seeking to engage the local authority, the local NHS, police, other emergency services and other public agencies to help to inform a final decision.”
Wirral Waters is a £4.5bn waterfront development currently being built by the Peel Group. Peel Ports owns and operates the waters and port infrastructure in the Birkenhead area and previously said it would only go ahead with the plans with full engagement with the local council.
The ECHO has approached Peel Ports for comment.
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