A reception center where irregular migrants are locked down to prevent disembarkation and reduce admission costs. Yesterday (Monday 18th July) Bibby Stockholm arrived in England and docked in Portland port in the south of England and will be hosting around 500 asylum seekers. The boat’s arrival was met with protests as protesters waved placards that read “No to the barge” and “No to the floating prison”.
London said the Bibby Stockholm, which has a total of 222 rooms, will remain moored in port for at least 18 months and house adult male asylum seekers entering the UK irregularly across the English Channel. According to the Ministry of Interior, around 50 asylum seekers will be transferred to the ship starting next week, and the number will be gradually increased over the next few months. For the first time, immigrants will be hosted on a ship moored in the UK, something that is already happening in other parts of Europe.
The conservative government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has announced its intention to reduce the costs of meeting asylum seekers in this way, announcing that around 51,000 asylum seekers are currently hosted in UK hotels, costing taxpayers nearly 6 million. pounds per day. “Using ships as alternative accommodation, as our European neighbors are already doing, will be cheaper for UK taxpayers and more manageable for communities than expensive hotels,” the Home Office said in a statement. Bibby Stockholm has been used in the past to house the homeless and asylum seekers in Germany and the Netherlands. It was later revamped after being criticized for having an “oppressive environment” when the Dutch government used it.
The boat’s arrival coincided with the end of the legislative process of the controversial Illegal Immigration Act, the provision designed to combat irregular immigration, which among other things deported asylum seekers to Rwanda. Last year, a record 45,755 people crossed the English Channel to reach the British coast, mainly from France. More than 12,000 people have already arrived this year, which is a similar rate to 2022.
🗣️ Home Office spokesperson on The Bibby Stockholm’s arrival at Portland Harbor. pic.twitter.com/5RpyZ3u4l6
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) 19 July 2023
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.