500 people are said to be on the barge
London wants to accommodate migrants on barge
4/5/2023 7:04 p.m
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak laments the high cost of accommodating migrants in hotels. According to the media, the conservative government is therefore planning to quarter around 500 migrants on a barge. The floating dwelling should serve as a cheap alternative.
The British government wants to temporarily accommodate migrants in a floating dwelling and has organized a first ship for this purpose, despite criticism from its own ranks. The Home Office has confirmed that it has leased the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, which is said to accommodate around 500 people. Various media had previously reported on the plans.
Local conservative MPs had sharply criticized them and even threatened lawsuits. The accommodation on barges is part of a plan to detain undesired migrants arriving in the UK first in specially designed accommodation and then deport them either to their countries of origin or to Rwanda. London has a corresponding agreement with the East African country. However, due to complaints and pending checks, not a single person has been flown out.
Alternative accommodation such as barges and ferries must be used to save British taxpayers’ money and prevent “Britain becoming a magnet for asylum shoppers in Europe,” said Secretary of State for Migration Robert Jenrick. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday bemoaned high government costs for hotels currently housing thousands of migrants. The floating accommodation is said to be a cheaper alternative – but the actual cost of renting the ship was not initially made public.
The conservative government wants to use all its might against unwanted migrants. Most of them should be denied the right to apply for asylum. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has sharply criticized the project. Critics accuse the Tories of exaggerating the problem and of wanting to win back voters with demonstratively tough action. Because of Brexit, London no longer has a readmission agreement with the EU.