Displaying items by tag: Bibby Stockholm

Migrants have returned to the accommodation barge Bibby Stockholm, which can house up to 500 individuals awaiting asylum decisions, after it was evacuated in August due to Legionella bacteria in the water supply. The Home Office has declared it ‘safe and secure’ following remediation efforts. Using it is part of a government policy to reduce the costs of housing migrants in hotels. Critics have raised concerns about the conditions on the barge, with Amnesty International likening it to ‘prison hulks from the Victorian era’. This comes after a legal challenge against housing asylum seekers on the vessel was dismissed in court. A further judicial review challenge regarding planning jurisdiction has been initiated. The Archbishop of Canterbury had previously called for a pause in the scheme for further consultation.

The first asylum-seekers have been transferred to the controversial Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge. Dozens of others had their transfers cancelled after issues were raised, including mental and physical health. The Care4Calais charity said none of the people they supported - disabled, torture survivors and modern slavery victims - had been moved. In a report, a long-serving firefighter called the Bibby Stockholm a ‘major life risk’ and warned that most fire engines in the nearby area are ‘on call’ only, slowing down response times. The fire brigades’ union has written to the home secretary, raising concerns over an emergency response and demanding an urgent meeting but have not received a reply. Also, authorities and firefighters have issued formal warnings about inadequate fire evacuation protocols for the vessel, which contains 222 cabins lining narrow corridors over three decks. Asylum-seekers who arrived before March will transfer from hotels, not directly from Dover. Their notification documents do not state clearly that the Bibby Stockholm is a barge.