A controversial plan to house asylum seekers in a barge off the English coast has been confirmed by the Home Office. The vessel will be docked off the Dorset coast and is said to be able to house around 500 asylum seekers for at least 18 months.
The Home Office said the measures would offer “basic and functional accommodation”, despite facing legal threats from local Tories. The three-storey Bibby Stockholm will also be provided with 24/7 security under Government plans to reduce the costly reliance on hotels.
The Home Office has not set out the cost of the lease agreement for the vessel that will be docked at Portland Port, but estimates have put the overall price tag of the charter and the berthing at more than £20,000 a day. Tory-run Dorset Council and local Conservative MP Richard Drax are considering launching legal action to prevent the barge being docked near the seaside resort of Weymouth, reports PA.
