Locals launch protest in Dorset as Bibby Stockholm barge arrives

Furious locals launch protest in Dorset as Bibby Stockholm barge that will house 500 male asylum seekers arrives at port in the popular seaside resort

A crowd of angry local protesters were seen at Portland Port this morning

Furious locals have launched a protest as a huge floating barge set to house hundreds of male asylum seekers arrives at its final destination on the Dorset coast this morning. .

The Bibby Stockholm, a three-storey, 93-metre long accommodation vessel, is capable of housing up to 500 migrants. The first asylum seekers are expected to board the vessel in the popular seaside resort later this month.

It set sail from Falmouth in Cornwall yesterday to its final destination of Portland, near Weymouth. But the move has triggered protests from locals who are fearful about the impact the new arrivals will have on the town’s community.

This morning a crowd of people were seen holding signs saying ‘no the the barge’, ‘Portland Port betrays Portland’ and ‘Portland betrayed’ outside Portland Port near Weymouth as they awaited the vessels arrival.

Local politicians have slammed the plans as ‘cruel and unusual’ adding that the community does not have the right infrastructure to house more people in the area.

The Bibby Stockholm (pictured arriving in Dorset this morning) is a huge migrant barge capable of housing up to 500 migrants.

Police officers speaking to protesters Portland Port near Weymouth in Dorset

The huge accommodation barge being towed in this morning

Portland Town Mayor Carralyn Parkes told BBC Radio 4: ‘Our position as a town council on the barge remains unchanged since the Home Office and Portland Port decided to inflict this on us.

‘It is cruel and unusual to detain asylum seekers on a barge and Portland does not have the infrastructure in terms of hospitals and facilities to house an extra 500 people.’

Two separate groups gathered at the edge of the port this morning, including Stand Up to Racism and NO TO THE BARGE group who have been loudly voicing concerns about the boat being moored in Portland.

The MP for Dorset South, members from Dorset Council and NHS Dorset have also objected to the decision but Downing Street insist using barges is cheaper than using hotels.

One campaigner form No to the Barge told Good Morning Britain today: ‘We are no to the barge. This is about inhumanity for the people of Portland and the asylum seekers.

‘In many ways this is profit before people. A private deal between the Home Office and Portland Port. This deal stinks quite frankly and we are against it.’

The barge had been held in Falmouth for a refit to upgrade its accommodation after being delayed by a month due to maritime inspections. Poor weather conditions also added to the delays.

It comes as The Illegal Migration Bill, which is central to the Prime Minister’s plans to ‘stop the boats’ crossing the English Channel, is set to become law after the House of Lords voted it through last night.

Home Office minister Lord Murray of Bildworth urged the Lords to ‘respect the will of the elected House and British people by passing the bill’.

Prior to the vote he said the number of small boats arrivals had ‘overwhelmed the UK’s asylum system and was costing taxpayers £6 million a day to provide accommodation.

He told peers: ‘With over 45,000 people making dangerous Channel crossings last year this is simply no longer sustainable.

The Bibby Stockholm under tow as it approaches Portland Port near Weymouth in Dorset

Stand Up to Racism also joined local protesters this morning

The protests come as the House of Lords voted through the Government’s controversial Illegal Migration Bill last night

‘If people know there is no way for them to stay in the UK, they won’t risk their lives and pay criminals thousands of pounds to arrive here illegally.

‘It is therefore only right that we stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people, ultimately enabling the Government to have greater capacity to provide a safe haven for those at risk of war and persecution.’

It saw a night of drama ensue where the Tory frontbench saw off five further changes being sought by the unelected chamber to the bill including modern slavery protections and child detention limits.

The vote, which had become a politician ping-pong between the House of Lords and House of Parliament, threatened to delay summer recess. But yesterday’s vote means the bill can now go forward for royal assent.

The Bill is part of a package of measures designed to deter migrants from crossing the channel by making it clear that if people enter the UK by irregular means, they will not be able to remain and will face being sent either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda.

The deal to send migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda has been mired in legal difficulties and will end up in the Supreme Court. It was last month branded unlawful by judges at the Court of Appeal.

With a backlog of asylum cases in the UK, the Government is also seeking to cut the cost of hotel bills by using alternative accommodation including the Bibby Stockholm and former military bases.

Councils and campaigners have been given the green light to bring a High Court challenge against housing migrants on the disused airfields.

Braintree District Council and a nearby resident are bringing legal action to challenge the use of Wethersfield in Essex to house up to 1,700 men while West Lindsey District Council is challenging similar plans for RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.

Dozens of asylum seekers have already been moved into Wethersfield. The first migrants are expected to board the Bibby Stockholm later this month. But the ship’s arrival angered locals, who protested against plans to have it docked in Portland.

Chief among their concerns is the sudden impact the introduction of 500 people will have on the local community.

Locals fear that already over-stretched services, including GP surgeries, won’t be able to cope with the influx.

Many have voiced worries about an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour, risk to their personal safety and the impact on tourism.

Dorset NHS, Dorset Council and the MP for South Dorset are among those objecting the barge

The barge was seen being towed along the Dorset coast in the early hours of this morning

Protesters from NO TO THE BARGE and Stand Up to Racism gathered at Portland Port this morning

But Downing Street yesterday defended the use of accommodation barges for migrants, insisting it is a cheaper alternative to housing them in hotels.

Asked whether Rishi Sunak had a message to people in Portland Port, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: ‘I think it’s right for the public as a whole that we move away from a situation where £6million a day of taxpayers’ money is going towards housing these individuals in hotels.

‘That’s not a good use of money and obviously that puts unplanned pressure on local areas as well.

‘We think it is better to open specific sites designed to house immigrants that come in, done in a more planned way.

‘That’s what we are seeking to do with the Bibby Stockholm and that’s what we’re seeking to do in other parts of the country – opening up sites to take the pressure off local areas and to reduce the cost.’

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