Tories at war over migrant housing as MPs threaten legal action …

Tories at war over migrant accommodation as MPs threaten legal action over plan for a GBP20,000-a-day 'flotel' barge near a Dorset beauty spot and ex-minister Priti Patel joins fight against transforming Essex military base

By David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor[1] and Katherine Lawton For Mailonline[2]

Published: 10:15, 4 April 2023 | Updated: 10:15, 4 April 2023

Ministers are facing a major Tory[3] backlash against plans to cut the exorbitant bill for housing migrants by using a floating barge and former military bases.

An MP last night threatened to take legal action against proposals for a GBP20,000-a-day 'flotel' barge off the Dorset coast amid concerns that the policy could hurt the local tourism industry. [4]

Home Secretary Suella Braverman[5] is set to announce that a deal has been struck to house around 500 migrants in a three-storey vessel in Portland[6] Harbour.

But a local cohort of Dorset council, residents' groups, charities, the local police and crime commissioner and the MP are planning legal action.

The harbour is a stop-off for international cruise ships close to the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tory MP for South Dorset Richard Drax told the Times: [7]'We are looking at all legal routes. We will look at any way we can stop this.'

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 military base as a huge migrant camp.

She is involved in efforts to stop the use of a former RAF station in Wethersfield, near Braintree.

'Plans to house thousands of illegal migrants in Braintree district should be scrapped,' she said.

'This is a rural site which is unsuitable to accommodate this scale of additional population and it does not have the infrastructure or public services in place.'

A local MP last night threatened to take legal action against proposals for a GBP20,000-a-day 'flotel' barge off the Dorset coast amid concerns that the policy could hurt the local tourism industry. A local MP last night threatened to take legal action against proposals for a GBP20,000-a-day 'flotel' barge off the Dorset coast amid concerns that the policy could hurt the local tourism industry.

A local MP last night threatened to take legal action against proposals for a GBP20,000-a-day 'flotel' barge off the Dorset coast amid concerns that the policy could hurt the local tourism industry.

Portland Harbour (top right) is a stop-off for international cruise ships close to the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site. Portland Harbour (top right) is a stop-off for international cruise ships close to the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Portland Harbour (top right) is a stop-off for international cruise ships close to the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The cost of berthing the vessel, named the Bibby Stockholm, in the privately run Portland Port is understood to be more than GBP4,500 per day The cost of berthing the vessel, named the Bibby Stockholm, in the privately run Portland Port is understood to be more than GBP4,500 per day

The cost of berthing the vessel, named the Bibby Stockholm, in the privately run Portland Port is understood to be more than GBP4,500 per day

Further costs would include utilities, catering, and healthcare utilities Further costs would include utilities, catering, and healthcare utilities

Further costs would include utilities, catering, and healthcare utilities

Tory MP for South Dorset Richard Drax told the Times: 'We are looking at all legal routes. We will look at any way we can stop this.' Tory MP for South Dorset Richard Drax told the Times: 'We are looking at all legal routes. /p pWe will look at any way we can stop this.'

Tory MP for South Dorset Richard Drax told the Times: 'We are looking at all legal routes.

We will look at any way we can stop this.'

Former home secretary Priti Patel is helping her local council in Essex with attempts to stop the Home Office using a military base as a huge migrant camp. Former home secretary Priti Patel is helping her local council in Essex with attempts to stop the Home Office using a military base as a huge migrant camp.

Former home secretary Priti Patel is helping her local council in Essex with attempts to stop the Home Office using a military base as a huge migrant camp.

The Bibby Stockholm costs around GBP4,500 a day to run, plus a GBP15,000 daily chartering free from owner Bibby Marine.

Further costs would include utilities, catering, and healthcare utilities, it has been reported.

The barge was recently refurbished after an inspection by a regulator, which described it as an 'aggressive and oppressive environment' after being used by the Dutch government to house asylum seekers a few years ago.

The barge can house 506 people and has 222 en-suite bedrooms.

It also has a restaurant, a TV and games room, a gym as well as a furnished bar.

The Home Office is seeking ways to cut the GBP6million per day it is paying to house more than 50,000 migrants in hotels.

It said: 'The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for money for taxpayers than hotels.'

Previously, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab described barges as 'one possible option', telling Sky News that the use of hotels was acting as a 'perverse incentive' to encourage crossings.

He also insisted Foreign Secretary James Cleverly 'fully supports this policy' despite the opposition to the base in his constituency being used.

Mr Raab also told BBC Breakfast there is a 'huge cost to the taxpayer' of hotel use, which he argued is acting as a 'pull factor'.

He said: 'We will look at the whole range of options, low-cost accommodation, ex-Army barracks and, where it's appropriate, as has been used elsewhere in Europe, and I think in Scotland as well, vessels, if they can safely and responsibly be used.'

References

  1. ^ David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  2. ^ Katherine Lawton For Mailonline (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  3. ^ Tory (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  4. ^ 'flotel' barge (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  5. ^ Suella Braverman (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  6. ^ Portland (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  7. ^ (www.thetimes.co.uk)

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