The immigration minister insists the barge at Portland is safe and will not be hit by more delays.
Image source, PA MediaAsylum seekers will begin arriving on the UK’s first migrant barge “in the coming days”, the immigration minister has said.
Robert Jenrick said about 50 men would board the Bibby Stockholm, moored at Portland in Dorset, later this week.
The first tranche of arrivals were due last week but safety issues, including the suggestion the vessel was a “death trap”, caused a delay.
The minister said he considered the barge a “safe facility”.
Mr Jenrick told Sky News: “We hope that the first migrants will go on to the boat in the coming days, I’m not going to give you an exact date – but very soon.
“For security reasons we prefer not to give the dates on which individuals arrive.
“You won’t have long to wait. This is an important step forwards.”
Image source, PA Media/Google
He added that increasing the numbers on the barge to the capacity of 500 was still the plan despite concerns from the Fire Brigades Union that the vessel had originally been designed to house 200 people.
The barge is seen as a key part of the government’s strategy to deter migrants from arriving on UK shores in small boat.
Ministers have said it would help cut the £6m-a-day cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels while their claims are processed.
Labour said it would use barges to house asylum seekers for a “very short” period while the cases backlog is tackled.
Stephen Kinnock, shadow immigration minister, said barges would continue to be used by a Labour government.
He said former military bases would also continue to be used for a period of possibly around six months during work to bring down claims delays from a record high.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has previously indicated she would not be able to immediately shut down the sites but declined to be explicit about the policy.
On Sunday, Mr Kinnock told BBC Breakfast: “The reality is that we’ve got tens of thousands of people in hotels, we need to get them out of hotels and we need to get them off the barges and out of the military camps too.
“Because of the complete and utter chaos and shambles of the Tory asylum crisis, we are going to have to continue in a very short-term period to use the infrastructure that is there, including the barges and the hotels.”
‘Inhumane’
After an initial delay while works were carried out in Cornwall, the Bibby Stockholm was met by opposition from some residents when it arrived in Portland on 18 July over fears it could put a strain on local services.
Human rights groups have also described the decision to house migrants on a barge as “inhumane”.
Image source, PA Media
Reporters were invited to look inside the barge last month, with pictures showing a TV room with a big screen and sofas, a multi-faith prayer room and a classroom that can be used for meetings and activities.
There is a gym and outdoor recreational space in the two courtyards in the centre of the barge.
The men will also have access to the dockside, within a fenced off area, and they will be provided with 24-hour security and healthcare provision.
The Home Office has repeatedly insisted the barge meets all safety standards.
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