Final asylum leave Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland
Watch Max Walsh's report here.
The final asylum seekers on board the Bibby Stockholm in Portland have been moved off, with the barge expected to leave Dorset in January next year.
Earlier this year Labour said it would not renew use of the accommodation barge, as part of Home Office plans to save £7.7billion in asylum costs over the next decade.
It was moored off Portland in July 2023 and housed its first asylum seekers the following August. It has since cost the taxpayer in excess of £20million.
Eight people left on Tuesday 26 November, ITV News understands, with a team from the Home Office having worked on board processing asylum application claims since September.
A flagship part of Rishi Sunak’s plans to stop small boat crossings, the Bibby Stockholm was intended as a deterrent to stop asylum seekers crossing the Channel, and act as a cheaper alternative to housing migrants in hotels.
Since then, however, 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.
Last year, £1.1 million went to Dorset Council alone, with half a million pounds spent on CCTV cameras, extra community policing and security at local libraries. It's not yet confirmed how any of the remaining cash will be spent.
The barge was beset by controversy from the beginning, with a Legionella outbreak on board in the first two weeks and the death of a migrant resident four months later.
ITV News spoke to some of the asylum seekers, who said living on the barge made them feel "imprisoned" and as though they had to "give away" some of their human rights.
One asylum seeker from Colombia got off the barge three months ago.
He said: "Living on the Bibby Stockholm barge taught me something important - most asylum seekers did their best to stay active, volunteer, and support the community.
“It wasn’t perfect, and mistakes were made, but there was always a genuine desire to do the right thing and contribute positively.
“To the people of Portland, thank you for your support and kindness; your warmth made a real difference.
“And to those who view us with prejudice, I can only say that life becomes so much greater when we approach it with empathy. None of us choose where we are born, but we all have the chance to build something better together.”
Refugee charity, Care4Calais, described it as a "physical symbol for the last Government’s inhumane treatment of people seeking sanctuary in the UK".
Cllr Carralyn Parkes, from Portland Town Council, said: “I couldn’t be more pleased. It’s been a cruel and expensive experiment in detaining refugees."
Giovanna Lewis, from Portland Global Friendship Group, said: “They’re delighted to leave the barge. I didn’t know anyone who didn’t want to escape it straight away. I just remember men coming to the barge, and being quite shocked.”
ITV News understands that the migrants who were on board the Bibby Stockholm have not been relocated to hotels, but last week the government admitted it has increased their use since coming into office in July.
Home Office Minister Dame Angela Eagle said 220 hotels are currently in use by the government, compared to 213 when Labour won the general election. 14 have been opened since July and seven have been closed down, resulting in a net increase of seven hotels.
"This government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain with many thousands stuck in a backlog with their asylum claims unprocessed," Dame Angela said on 20 November.
She added that the government "remains absolutely committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers" but they are a "necessary temporary step in keeping the system under control and making sure it doesn't descend into chaos."
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