- Asylum Seekers’ Transfer to Bibby Stockholm Delayed Due to Fire Safety Concerns
- Tory MPs Criticize the Vessel, Demand Safety Reports, and Raise Capacity Concerns
- Home Office Plans to Reduce Hotel Costs and Relocate Asylum Seekers to Alternative Sites, Including RAF Scampton
The Home Office stated that the contentious vessel was “undergoing final preparations to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.”
Due to last-minute fire safety discussions, asylum seekers will not board the infamous Bibby Stockholm vessel on Tuesday.
They may be moved to the Portland, Dorset, barge later this week.
The Times said that the facility had major safety concerns and was awaiting fire department permission.
One source expressed concern that the ship could become a “floating Grenfell” — a reference to the 2017 fire that killed 72 people at the Grenfell Tower in west London.
Transport minister Richard Holden said the barge was awaiting “final checks” but would not specify if safety issues delayed it.
Nonetheless, he added, “It is necessary that the accommodations we provide be safe and secure.”
“I cannot estimate how long the reviews will take; they will take as long as they take. We must get these details correct.”
Steve Reed, the shadow justice secretary for the Labour Party, stated that the latest delay demonstrated that the Conservatives were “failing in absolutely every single way” to manage the number of asylum cases entering the system.
“Due to the government’s failure to process asylum applications, hotels are full,” he told.
“The Rwanda plan will never succeed; it’s just a gimmick designed to capture headlines rather than solve the problem. And now we’re experiencing the same issue with the vessel.”
Mr. Reed urged governments employ Labour’s cross-border police force to fight people smugglers who use small boats.
The 222-room Bibby Stockholm will initially house 50 single males before accommodating up to 500 individuals currently staying in hotels.
The 24-hour-secure barge will only house single guys on bunk beds with two to six persons per en suite room.
Tory MPs, including Richard Drax, who represents South Dorset, and Chris Loder, who represents West Dorset, have criticized the vessel, demanding to see safety reports and claiming it will house double the number of people it is designed to contain.
Ben Selby, assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, condemned what he termed a “reckless approach to the safety and well-being of both vulnerable refugees and firefighters.”
“The Home Office has declared that this plan is a cheaper option for housing asylum seekers,” he explained.
This condemns the mindset that money is everything and people are collateral damage.
We applaud calls to immediately withdraw these proposals because everyone deserves safe housing.
A spokesperson for the Home Office stated, in response to allegations of a delay, that the vessel was “undergoing final preparations to ensure it complies with all applicable regulations before the arrival of the first asylum seekers.”
They added, “This is part of the government’s plan to reduce the use of expensive hotels and provide more manageable. Also cost-effective alternatives for communities, just as our European neighbors are already doing.”
“We continue to work closely with the Dorset and Portland councils, as well as the local NHS and police services, to address the concerns of the local community in Portland, including by providing substantial funding to local services.”
The Bibby Stockholm is one of numerous government-designated alternatives to hotels, which cost taxpayers £6 million each day.
The Home Office plans to utilise tents, RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, and Wethersfield Airfield in Essex to move people.
Plans to relocate 2,000 asylum seekers to RAF Scampton have also been delayed until October due to difficulties in conducting surveys on the 14 buildings designated for migrant housing.
Monday, when asked about the delay, the prime minister’s press secretary stated, We are currently working to open the Scampton site as soon as feasible.
“I cannot provide a running commentary on anticipated timelines, but the site will eventually accommodate nearly 2,000 people.”
The Times reported that Wethersfield Airfield will receive more migrants despite three positive tuberculosis tests.
Last week, critics criticized the home secretary, Suella Braverman, for her separate plans to house thousands of migrants in tents on abandoned military sites as “shocking” and “cruel.
In anticipation of a rise in Channel crossings, shelters will be built in the following weeks.
