The government has revealed that the interim residence for asylum seekers arriving on British soil will henceforth be a three-story barracks boat.
The Bibby Stockholm, a sizable apartment complex built atop a floating platform, has been leased for 18 months, according to the Home Office.
According to the Home Office, the “basic and functional accommodations” would have 24-hour security to “minimize the inconvenience to local populations.”
Bibby Stockholm contains a basic gym, bar, games room and more than 220 en-suite bedrooms, according to a fact sheet from owners Bibby Maritime.
New arrivals will start to be housed on the ship ‘in the coming months’, the Home Office added.
The deal was signed earlier today by the Home Office to charter the 91-metre ship docked in Portland Port, Dorset. The department has not yet set out of the cost of the agreement.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: ‘The Home Secretary and I have been clear that the use of expensive hotels to house those making unnecessary and dangerous journeys must stop.
‘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.’
The Bibby Stockholm was once used by the Netherlands to house 500 asylum seekers in the 2000s.
During this time, a Dutch watchdog denounced the ‘oppressive environment’ people who fled war and persecution had to live in – it’s since been ‘refurbished’.
Bibby Marine said in a statement to Metro.co.uk: ‘Bibby Marine is a provider of practical, safe, and comfortable accommodation solutions for a wide range of clients across the globe.
‘Due to legal agreements, we cannot provide any details on individual charter agreements.
‘Our floating accommodation barges offer a cost-effective solution for those in need of good quality accommodation. All have been refurbished to a high standard, catering to the safety and comfort of residents.’
‘The Bibby Stockholm has been refurbished and has comfortably housed workers from various industries including construction, marine and the armed forces over the years,’ the company added.
It will be the first vessel used in deeply controversial plans to reduce hotels used to house asylum seekers.
Barges normally used for offshore construction projects, disused cruise ships and military bases are among the sites Home Office officials are considering.
The plans have been denounced by international rights organisations, refugee advocacy groups and politicians on both sides.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, told Metro.co.uk: ‘A barge may make headlines, but it’s a completely inadequate housing option for vulnerable people who have come to our country in search of safety having fled beatings and death threats in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran.
‘They should have access to safe and appropriate accommodation including having proper physical and mental health support, access to education and community links.
‘A floating barge does not provide what they need nor the respect, dignity and support they deserve.’
Solomon added that there would be ‘no need’ for the barracks ship if the Home Office handled the spiralling claims backlogs.
The Tory MP for South Dover, where the Bibbly Stockholm will be moored, has threatened legal action over the floatel.
Richard Drax, known for backing anti-immigration policies, said the barge was ‘dumped on the door’ without the Home Office consulting him.
‘With 500 migrants or more dumped here, I cannot see this is a sensible move, so for those reasons and many others I reject it,’ he said.
‘We already know some migrants have disappeared from hotels, we fear some into gangs. Are they going to stay here?’
Hotels housing asylum seekers have been the site of vandalism and violence in recent months as far-right groups stage often fiery protests in front of them.
While an investigation in January revealed how dozens of asylum seekers have been reportedly kidnapped by gangs.
Fizza Qureshi, CEO of the Migrants’ Rights Network, told Metro.co.uk: ‘We’re shocked to hear the Government’s proposals to house people fleeing persecution in dehumanising and potentially dangerous accommodation such as barges.
‘It shows a clear disregard for the well-being of people it should be protecting.
‘We have been speaking to people in Home Office accommodation and it is evident the Government’s increasingly hostile policies are exacerbating stress and fear. In particular, uncertainty around housing is one of the leading causes of anxiety for them.’
Refugee groups have spent years raising the alarm over the use of hotels and other temporary accomodations for asylum seekers.
Amid a claims backlog, families have spent months or even a year in temporary accommodation, according to a report by Refugee Council.
These months-long stays can take a deep toll on the mental health of asylum seekers, the campaign group warned.
Asylum seekers have described to Metro.co.uk being housed for months in far-flung hotels, living on an allowance that barely covers the costs of bus passes, phone bills and clothing amid the cost-of-living crisis.
‘It is clear that people fleeing human rights abuses,’ Qureshi added, ‘are now having their rights abused here too.’