Barges Set To Hold Asylum Seekers Are Being Compared To '18th Century Prisons'

Bibby Stockholm, a barge owned by Bibby Marine Limited, currently docked on April 05, 2023 in Genoa, Italy.

The government has just confirmed its plan to house “illegal” asylum seekers on barges to save on hotel costs – and it’s already being condemned for effectively imprisoning vulnerable people.

On Wednesday, Downing Street announced that 500 male migrants would be housed in this 222-room barge off Dorset coast “in the coming months”.

It will be the first time migrants will be housed in a berthed vessel.

Dubbed Bibby Stockholm, it’s set to be located at Portland Port off the coast of Weymouth, and will operate for at least 18 months while the asylum seekers wait for their claims to be processed.

It’s part of Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman’s general plans to “stop the boats”, including the ongoing strategy to remove those who supposedly come to the UK via “illegal” means and deport them to Rwanda, as covered in the Illegal Immigration Bill.

The Home Office claims this is going to be “significant cheaper than hotels” once the barge in question has been transported from Italy.

The government also has not said how much it will cost yet, but hotels currently cost more than £6m a day according to the Home Office. That’s because there are more than 51,000 people in nearly 400 hotels across the country.

Allegedly, there will be security on board the barge along with basic and functional accommodation, healthcare, catering and laundry facilities.

All rooms will reportedly have a window, bed, desk, storage and en-suite.

Bibby Stockholm was previously used by the Dutch for asylum seekers and was criticised for its “oppressive environment” – but it’s since been refurbished.

The plan is not only unpopular with local councils, civil rights groups and refugee groups, but people couldn’t help noticing something odd – it’s very much like a prison.

Sky News’ Kay Burley put this comparison to the roads and local transport minister Richard Holden on Thursday, but he insisted that it was not a “floating prison”.

“So 500 or more people can come and go as they like in this small area?” Burley asked.

“No, some of them are going to be in ports, ports are quite protected areas, so I think it’s about trying to manage these people as well as possible while their immigration statuses...”

Burley pushed: “Can they come and go as they please or not?”

He replied that for some of the areas they can get off the boat but not off the port.

Burley asked again: “So it’s a type of prison?”

The minister replied: “No it’s not a type of prison. Places for people to be safe and secure while their immigration and asylum claims are processed in the UK.”

He then seemed unable to explain whether or not they would be able to go into the local town – and suggested that it would all the facilities they need would be on site so as not to impact local services.

And it seems Twitter is pretty convinced that these facilities will be just like prisons...

Related...

• Yes, You've Definitely Heard This Plan To Put Migrants On Barges Before

• Home Office Confirms Hundreds Of Asylum Seekers Will Be Kept On A Barge

• Priti Patel Takes On Suella Braverman Over Essex Migrant Camp Plan

• 'Isn't That A Bit Weird?' Suella Braverman Clashes With Sophy Ridge Over Her Rwanda 'Obsession'