Archbishop of Canterbury says Dorset migrant barge is not the answer to refugee crisis

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The Archbishop of Canterbury has told ITV News that plans to house migrants on a barge off the coast of Dorset are not the solution to the refugee crisis.

The vessel, known as Bibby Stockholm, is expected to leave its temporary base in Falmouth and arrive in the Port of Portland later this month.

It will house 500 'single adult males' awaiting decisions on their asylum claims for at least 18 months.

The Archbishop, the most senior clergyman in the Church of England, has visited Dorset this weekend (Saturday 10 June) to listen to the concerns of local people.

Most Reverend Justin Welby acknowledged that he too, has deep reservations about the asylum barge.

He said: "The asylum seekers seem to be pawns in this, they're being moved around, it's not their choice and they're people that are desperately anxious.

The Bibby Stockholm will house five hundred 'single adult males' waiting on asylum claims

"We've got 50,000 people on the waitlist in the system. That's 100 barges, they could lessen the load on the system by getting rid of the waiting list quickly, efficiently and justly, rather than letting it build up and having people in barges."

The Archbishop suggested the asylum scheme should be paused until further consultation takes place.

He said: "The obvious thing that should happen before the barge is settled is that a task group comes down and listens and works with local people to see what extra resources the local community needs in order to be hospitable."

Just last month protestors marched to Portland Port, claiming that the Government's asylum barge plans were 'inhumane'.

The Home Office said the barge would "offer better value for the British taxpayer than expensive hotels".

Previously, the Government has said that the use of vessels such as the Bibby Stockholm brings the UK "in line" with other countries around the world and in Europe.

During his visit to Dorset, the Archbishop attended a church service in Weymouth, where local people expressed that whilst the barge was a concern, the desire to welcome asylum seekers was strong.

One local said: "Maybe the planning of it doesn't involve the community or the experts who can actually look into how to safely do this without impacting the people fleeing such atrocities."

Justin Welby said the Church of England will continue to do all it can to support those in need while agreeing the country's borders do need to be controlled.