Backlash against migrant barge in the middle of a holiday hotspot
'I'd rather be homeless than live on a barge': Migrants threaten to disappear onto the streets rather than live on a 500-bed 'flotel' amid backlash at plan to dock vessel in Dorset - as half of Britons say it's 'acceptable' housing for asylum seekers
- The Government confirmed plans to place a barge in Portland Harbour last night
- A second even bigger barge is set to be moored in a major port town or city
By David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline[1]
Published: 08:33, 6 April 2023 | Updated: 17:57, 6 April 2023
Migrants have threatened to disappear onto the streets and live homeless rather than be moved onto a controversial 500-bed barge due to be moored off a major beauty spot.
The Government confirmed plans to hire a floating holding unit and moor it in Portland[2] Harbour, Dorset, last night.
The harbour is close to Weymouth, a popular seaside holiday destination, and the Jurassic Coast, which is a Unesco[3] World Heritage Site. It is a stopping point for cruise ships visiting the UK.
A group of migrants today suggested they would rather live rough than be housed on the vessel, which has en-suite bedrooms and a gym.
But a YouGov poll revealed that half of Britons (50 per cent) believed it was an 'acceptable' form of accommodation for asylum seekers.
This compared to one-third (33 per cent) who thought it was unacceptable.
Migrants today said News they feared the planned Dorset barge was a holding facility for those destined to be sent to Rwanda. One, called Sadam, said that he 'can't move' and urged people to protest outside his hotel
Peter Roper, the Mayor of Portland, today warned housing asylum seekers on a barge in the harbour will 'put a load' on the isle, which is famous for Portland Bill lighthouse
A YouGov poll revealed that half of Britons (50 per cent) believed it was an 'acceptable' form of accommodation for asylum seekers
Migrants today told Sky News they feared the planned Dorset barge was a holding facility for those destined to be sent to Rwanda.
A Sudanese refugee called Imad told the broadcaster: 'I don't want to go ... I [would] go homeless.'
A second, called Sadam, added that he 'can't move' and urged people to protest outside his hotel.
It came as local politicians warned mooring the barge off Dorset will put a heavy 'load' on local health services and the tourist industry.
Minister Rick Holden this morning suggested the first guests could board the Bibby Stockholm within weeks, as the Government seeks to cut the multi-million-pound migrant hotel bill.
Reports today suggested plans are in motion to hire a second barge able to hold four times as many people, likely to be moored in a major port town or city.
The Government has also set out plans to accommodate migrants at several former RAF sites and an ex-prison as it seeks alternatives to hotels which it says are costing GBP2.3 billion a year.
More than 400 people crossed the English Channel in small boats yesterday, almost enough to fill the barge on their own, despite an attempted crackdown on illegal migration by the Government.
Peter Roper, the Mayor of Portland, today warned housing asylum seekers on a barge in the harbour will 'put a load' on the isle and on south Dorset.
The councillor said: 'Going by hearsay that we've heard about other areas where asylum seekers have been housed in hotels, it has had a detrimental effect on the towns around those particular hotels.
'Our tourism industry will be kicking off just about the time these first occupants will be coming onto the barge.
We have no idea what effect that will have on our tourism industry.'
Labour blasts migrant camp plan for ex-home of the Dambusters
Ministers' plans to house asylum seekers in the disused military base that was once home to the Dambusters are 'completely wrong' and should be reversed, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Plans are afoot to build accommodation at the former RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire (pictured below), home to 617 Squadron which carried out the daring feat in the Second World War in which 'bouncing bombs' were used to destroy German dams.
The Labour leader told reporters during a visit to Scunthorpe: 'I think the Government's completely wrong to press ahead with the plan to put 2,000 asylum seekers at Scampton.
'It will cut across, drive a coach and horses through a really important initiative for investment, for jobs, of tech jobs in an area that desperately needs them.
'The idea of cutting through all that is wrong in principle. That's why so many local people are so concerned about it, because they can glimpse the future there and the Government's about to take it away from them.
'It is also likely to ruin the legacy of the Dambusters. You know, this is an iconic site.
'So, the Government is wrong, completely wrong.
They should reverse their decision. I'm not surprised at the level and scale of local opposition to what is a completely wrong decision by the Government.
'I don't think they've even been there to scope out what this would do and the impact it would have on local communities.'
AdvertisementMr Holden told Sky News the barge would not impact nearby communities and insisted that ports where accommodation barges could be deployed are often 'protected areas'.
The Home Office said 437 migrants arrived in the country on Wednesday, the highest number on a single day so far this year.
It brought the cumulative number of crossings in 2023 to a provisional 4,431.
There appeared to be more arrivals on Thursday morning after a group of people thought to be migrants were pictured being picked up by the RNLI and taken to Dover.
Pressed on whether migrants would be effectively imprisoned on the barges, Mr Holden said: 'No, it is not a type of prison at all. What these places are is for people to be safe and secure while their immigration claims and asylum claims are processed in the UK.'
He added: 'One of the issues that a lot of people are worried about is the impact on local services.
'One of the things we are going to ensure with all of these sites is things like doctors' facilities they will have on site, so that they can be processed there and looked after on site without the need to impact on local communities.'
Asked about a start date for the plan, he said: I know contracts are being discussed at the moment around the UK with different areas, so I can't give you a definite date and timeline on it.
'But this is what we are hoping to do.
We are hoping to do this as quickly as possible.'
Pressed on whether it could be within a month, he added: 'It could even be sooner than that. It might be a little further away.'
Portland's MP Richard Drax and other have threatened to take legal action against the GBP20,000-a-day barge. They include Dorset council, residents' groups, charities, and the local police and crime commissioner.
At the same time, former home secretary Priti Patel is helping her local council in Essex with attempts to stop the Home Office using a former RAF station in Wethersfield, near Braintree, to house migrants.
The base is in the constituency of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
There is also uproar at plans to use RAF Scampton, the former home of the Dambusters.
The Government's planned use of barges and disused military bases to house asylum seekers is 'absolutely evidence of failure', Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Labour leader said ministers must 'get a grip' on the backlog of asylum claims.
It will be the first time asylum seekers in the UK have been housed on an accommodation barge - which is normally used for maritime or offshore workers
The barge, operated by Liverpool-based Bibby Marine, features a games room and bar
There will also be around-the-clock security on board to 'minimise the disruption to local communities'
The Government is facing stiff local opposition to its plans to utilise the Bibby Stockholm as a migrant accommodation centre
South Dorset MP Richard Drax, a Tory backbencher, and other critics are threatening legal action against the plan to anchor the flat-bottomed craft in Portland Harbour.
The high number of migrants crossing to the UK in small boats has overwhelmed the asylum system, with about 51,000 currently in hotels waiting for their claims to be processed.
Sir Keir said ministers should instead focus on measures to prevent small boats crossing the Channel and tackling the backlog of claims.
Speaking to broadcasters during a local elections campaign visit to Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, he said: 'The Government has caused a situation where they've broken the asylum system, got thousands upon thousands of claims that haven't been processed.
'The answer isn't more expense for the taxpayer, the answer is to fix the problem, stop the boats with effective action and process the claims.
The Government's planned use of barges and disused military bases to house asylum seekers is 'absolutely evidence of failure', Sir Keir Starmer has said.
'I think anybody listening to this will be absolutely astonished to learn that of all those that arrived via small boats last year, only 1 per cent have had their asylum claims processed.'
Elsewhere, the Government has made it more difficult for illegal migrants to access bank accounts to prevent them from working.
It will share details of disqualified persons through an anti-fraud organisation, and banks and building societies will then check their personal current account holders against those details.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: 'Access to key banking services, including current accounts, is crucial in aiding those here unlawfully to gain a foothold in British society.
'As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to going further and faster to prevent the abuse of our laws and borders.
'Illegal working causes untold harm to our communities, cheating honest workers of employment and defrauding the public purse.
'Only those known to be here unlawfully or those who have absconded from immigrational control will have their details shared, with robust safeguards in place to prevent wrongful account closures.'