- Government Minister Defends Safety of Controversial Asylum Seeker Barge
- Barge’s First Arrivals Delayed due to Safety Checks
- Firefighters Raised Concerns about Exits and Overcrowding on the Bibby Stockholm
A government minister stated that a controversial barge that will shelter hundreds of asylum seekers is not a “death trap” after new safety checks delayed its first arrivals.
Grant Shapps, a cabinet minister, told reporters there was no reason the barge “wouldn’t be safe.”
The remarks come after firefighters raised concerns about the Bibby Stockholm’s exits and potential overcrowding.
It is now unlikely that asylum claimants will board the vessel until next week.
The barge is a crucial component of the government’s strategy to deter migrants from arriving in small vessels, and ministers say it will help reduce the £6 million per day cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels while their claims are processed.
“It will not be a death trap,” said Mr. Shapps.
The ship was previously used by Germany to accommodate migrants, so there is no reason to believe it is unsafe.
“Ships are frequently used to convey people, but there is no inherent reason for this to be the case. This is precisely why these concluding safety checks are being conducted.”
In addition, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the barge scheme and rejected the notion that it had been a “mess.”
“This is me attempting something new to solve a big problem,” he told LBC.
Food cargo was loaded aboard the ship earlier, signifying final arrival preparations.
On Tuesday, approximately 50 migrants were anticipated to board the ship, which was docked at Portland Port in Dorset; however, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said it was writing to the government after its members expressed grave concerns about potential overcrowding and access to fire exits.
Ben Selby, assistant general secretary of the FBU, stated, “As the only professional voice, firefighters believe the Bibby Stockholm to be a potential death trap.”
Mr. Selby said the union’s major concern was putting 500 people on a 200-person barge.
“This raises significant fire safety concerns for us, as well as concerns that, if a fire were to break out on the Bibby, firefighters may not be able to make the necessary rescues and access,” he said.
“By increasing occupancy, we would expect certain measures and assessments to be taken to ensure the safety of those being housed there, as well as the safety of firefighters attempting to gain access to the Bibby, should they be required to do so.”
According to government sources, the FBU’s complaints are politically motivated.
The latest delay, according to a Home Office source, was caused by the Health and Safety Executive’s late request to review port employees’ working practices, and not by fire safety concerns.
Tuesday, Transport Minister Richard Holden stated that he was unable to predict when asylum seekers would begin to arrive.
Supporters have urged the government to abandon the barge project as asylum seekers wait in Bournemouth hotels.
Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon claimed “tougher” asylum laws do not prevent “preventing people from desiring to come here.”
“The government has grossly mismanaged the asylum system,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today program. “This is the worst possible solution in the worst possible location.”
The government would not have to use ships if there were not a backlog of 150,000 cases.
The lack of returns and removals is my biggest issue,” said former UK Border Force director general Tony Smith.
“We return few individuals, so they know if they encounter a smuggler on the French coasts. They will be told, ‘Give us 5,000 euros,’ and that once they cross the border, they are safe and sound.
Therefore, we must initiate the removals.
Pictures showing a TV room with a large screen and armchairs, a multifaith prayer room, and a classroom that can be used for meetings and activities were shown to reporters last month.
The two courtyards in the barge’s interior contain a fitness center and outdoor recreation space.
The men will have 24/7 security and medical care and dockside access in a fenced-in area.
A Home Office official said, Surplus military locations and vessels will provide affordable and better lodging for small boat arrivals.
The Bibby Stockholm is currently undergoing final preparations to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations before the arrival of the first asylum seekers in the coming weeks.
