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Bibby Stockholm barge: Why some people are so angry about the new 'home' for 500 migrants

Watch: Bibby Stockholm barge arrives in port

What's happening?

The Bibby Stockholm barge has arrived in Portland Port in Dorset, where it will house 500 asylum seekers.

The barge was pulled by a tug into the port on Tuesday morning, a month behind schedule.

The Home Office previously announced that the barge will be a temporary base for asylum seekers as the government tries to crack down on illegal English Channel crossings.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has made tackling the wave of illegal Channel crossings one of the key things he wants to tackle during his first year in office.

The Bibby Stockholm barge. (PA)
The Bibby Stockholm barge is supposed to house 500 migrants. (PA)

He has announced a raft of policies aimed at moving asylum seekers from the hotels they are currently being housed in to military bases and also barges.

The policy has been harshly criticised from all sides with many questioning if it is even legal, but the government has stood by its plan.

Here Yahoo News UK explains why the plan has sparked such controversy.

What's the reaction been?

The reaction to the announcement has for the most part been entirely negative.

Human rights organisations criticised the "cruelty" of "confining" hundreds of vulnerable people on a barge, as they blamed the government for creating the backlog of asylum claims.

Amnesty International's Steve Valdez-Symonds said: "Hundreds of people in isolation on a barge is just more of the political theatre that the government has created to obscure its gross mismanagement of the asylum system."

PORTLAND, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Portland residents stage a small protest outside the port entrance as the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge arrives at Portland Harbour on July 18, 2023 in Portland, England. The Bibby Stockholm arrives in Portland, after a refit at Falmouth, to serve as living quarters for up to 500 asylum seekers to the UK. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Portland residents staged a protest outside the port entrance as the barge arrived. (Getty)
PORTLAND, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Portland residents stage a small protest outside the port entrance as the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge arrives at Portland Harbour on July 18, 2023 in Portland, England. The Bibby Stockholm arrives in Portland, after a refit at Falmouth, to serve as living quarters for up to 500 asylum seekers to the UK. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Protestors are concerned the area cannot cope with the influx of people. (Getty)

A Dorset councillor has said there are "serious concerns" about the plan – although the BBC reported that they had been warned legal action against the move would likely fail.

Protesters in Dorset awaiting the arrival of the barge said they did not believe the area would be able to cope with the arrival of 500 more people.

Local resident Sammy told BBC Breakfast: "We haven't got enough staff for the NHS, dentists, doctors, financially ...

"Portland is very small, why didn't London accept them, being a big city?"

The barge is currently docked in Genoa, Italy. (PA)
The barge is currently docked in Genoa, Italy. (PA)

What has the government said in its defence?

Multiple ministers have defended the plan saying the government needs to deter people from coming to the UK.

When asked about the policy, the prime minister said: "We're bringing forward alternative sites like the barge that we've announced today that will save us money and indeed reduce pressure on hotels. All part of our plan to stop the boats."

PORTLAND, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Members of Stand Up To Racism stage a counter demonstration outside the port entrance as the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge arrives at Portland Harbour on July 18, 2023 in Portland, England. The Bibby Stockholm arrives in Portland, after a refit at Falmouth, to serve as living quarters for up to 500 asylum seekers to the UK. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Members of Stand Up To Racism staged a counter demonstration outside the port entrance as the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge arrived. (Getty)
PORTLAND, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Members of Stand Up To Racism stage a counter demonstration outside the port entrance as the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge arrives at Portland Harbour on July 18, 2023 in Portland, England. The Bibby Stockholm arrives in Portland, after a refit at Falmouth, to serve as living quarters for up to 500 asylum seekers to the UK. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The situation has sparked widespread controversy about how asylum seekers are treated. (Getty)

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: "We will not elevate the interests of illegal migrants over the British people we are elected to serve.

"We have to use alternative accommodation options, as our European neighbours are doing – including the use of barges and ferries – to save the British taxpayer money and to prevent the UK becoming a magnet for asylum shoppers in Europe."

Transport minister Richard Holden said the barge would not be like a prison with amenities like doctors' surgeries available on the site.

The barge will feature a gym. (PA)
The barge will feature a gym. (PA)

'I will make a protest'

Sky News interviewed a self-styled leader of a group of asylum seekers who have come together amid their frustration over the length of time it takes the government to process their requests.

The man, who gave his name as Sadam and comes from Sudan, said he would not be moved from the current hotel he is in to the barge.

He said: "I will make protest. All the people here, I invite them to make protest in front of [the] hotel."

Another asylum seeker called Imad, also from Sudan, said he would rather be homeless than be put on the barge.

One of the areas on the barge. (PA)
One of the areas on the barge. (PA)

What does the barge look like?

The barge, called the Bibby Stockholm, will house 500 people, will provide "basic and functional accommodation" and will have 24-hour security.

The giant grey and red rectangular barge looks intimidating from the outside but inside it looks more like a cross between a care home and student accommodation.

Small bedrooms with single beds will take up most of the space on the vessel with recreational areas, a gym, a canteen and health facilities also available.

Watch: Starmer: Barge housing proves govt has broken asylum system