Bibby Stockholm: Asylum seeker barge in Portland to close in January 2025 in Labour overhaul
ITV News West Country's Political Correspondant Lucy McDaid has the latest
The Bibby Stockholm barge will stop housing asylum seekers from the end of January 2025.
The new Labour government has decided not to renew the contract for the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge, which has capacity for 500 asylum seekers and is currently housing hundreds of men.
The barge has been controversial since it was first announced, with those living on board saying they feel "imprisoned" and as though they have had to "give away" some of their human rights.
One asylum seeker died on board the barge, with those living on the Bibby claimed he died by suicide.
It has sparked many protests, with asylum seekers most recently calling for the government to end their wait "in limbo" and speed up decision-making on their claims for refuge in the UK.
The government says ending its use forms part of its plan to save £7.7billion in asylum costs over the next 10 years.
The Home Secretary says the government will clear the asylum backlog, reducing demand for accommodation like Bibby Stockholm.
The Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle MP said: “We are determined to restore order to the asylum system, so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced.
“The Home Secretary has set out plans to start clearing the asylum backlog and making savings on accommodation which is running up vast bills for the taxpayer.
“The Bibby Stockholm will continue to be in use until the contract expires in January 2025.”
Dorset Council's leader Nick Ireland said he "welcomes" the news.
“Since the Bibby Stockholm arrived a year ago, we have worked hard to support the residents of the barge and also tried to mitigate the impact on local communities," he said.
"Dorset Council has been opposed to the barge being sited at Portland Port from the very beginning as this was never a suitable location for this facility.
“We will work closely with the Home Office and other partners to ensure the smooth running of arrangements over the final few months.”
Responding to the news, CEO of refugee charity Care4Calais Steve Smith said the Bibby Stockholm became "the physical symbol for the last Government’s inhumane treatment of people seeking sanctuary in the UK".
He added: “The despair and suffering the barge has caused will live long in the people who were residents of it. Nor will not renewing the contract bring back Leonard Farruku, whose family have lost their loved-one forever.
“Whilst this is a sensible decision, at this very minute, we are in the High Court challenging the government over the inhumanity being inflicted on over 500 men inside the Wethersfield camp. The current government is choosing to fight this case when the solution should have been to end the suffering and close this camp too.”
Analysis from ITV News West Country's Political Correspondent Lucy McDaid
The barge was first announced by the Conservative former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as part of his controversial plans to stop small boat crossings.
It arrived in Portland in July 2023 and started housing asylum seekers the following month. According to the Conservative government, the temporary accommodation site was a cheaper alternative to housing asylum seekers in taxpayer-funded hotels. But since then, the government's spending watchdog has revealed that asylum accommodation sites - like the Bibby Stockholm - are tens of millions of pounds more expensive than hotels.
The barge was beset by controversies from the outset. Less than two weeks' after the first migrants arrived, the discovery of Legionella bacteria on-board meant all 39 had to be temporarily removed.
Four months' later a young asylum seeker was also found dead on the barge, which was widely reported as a suspected suicide.
Then in opposition, the Labour Party heavily criticised the government's plans to bring down illegal migration, but stopped short of promising to scrap the Bibby Stockholm if they won the general election.
During the election campaign in June, Sir Keir Starmer refused to reveal what he would do with the barge. In an interview with ITV News West Country he repeatedly said the barge was "evidence of the failure of the government" but wouldn't set out his party's plan.
It was clear he couldn't put a timeline on when he would get rid it, but it was equally clear that he would face immense pressure to act quickly if they won, which they did.
With that in mind, the announcement by the Home Office isn't a complete surprise, but the timing is earlier than expected.
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