Controversial Bibby Stockholm migrant barge is towed out of port two months after final asylum seekers left_Nhy
The controversial Bibby Stockholm barge, which was previously used to house migrants, has been towed away two months after the final asylum seekers left the ship.
Under the previous Tory government the barge had been used as a controversial method of dealing with the migrant crisis.
However, after Labour won last year’s general election, Sir Keir Starmer announced that the facility would closed and the final eight asylum seekers on board disembarked the ship in November.
Now the barge has sailed out of Portland Harbour in Dorset for the final time after the contract expired this month.
While the Bibby Stockholm was touted as a cheap method to house migrants – which was costing the taxpayer £8m to put thousands of migrants up in hotels – it also garnered a lot of criticism.
During its time in Portland the barge caused controversy among local residents who regularly clashed over it outside the port gates.
One group of human rights activists labelled the conditions on board as inhumane and offered support for the asylum seekers.
Others were unhappy that hundreds of men from the barge were allowed to come and go and use already overstretched local resources such as GP surgerys and dental practices.
The controversial Bibby Stockholm barge, which was previously used to house migrants, has been towed away two months after the final asylum seekers left the ship
The Bibby Stockholm in August 2023. Under the previous Tory government the barge had been used as a controversial method of dealing with the migrant crisis
Within two weeks of arriving the barge had to be evacuated after traces of Legionella bacteria were found in the on-board water system.
In December 2023 Albanian national Leonard Farruku hanged himself in his shower after suffering mental health issues on board.
About 300 of the men were removed in October last year with the final eight leaving in November.
The asylum seekers have been dispersed around the country to hotels in places like Cardiff, Wolverhampton and Bristol.
The now empty barge slipped its moorings at just after 3pm today and was pulled out of the harbour by a tug.
Shocking figures revealed that nearly 37,000 arrived in the UK on small boats last year.
A jump of 25 per cent from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, according to provisional figures from the Home Office.
The crossings continue even as the number of reported deaths has risen sixfold as callous smugglers adopt even riskier tactics to maximise profits.
At least 77 people perished on the perilous sea route in 2024 compared to 12 in 2023, according to French officials – making it the worst year on record as overall crossings rose by a quarter.
The now empty barge slipped its moorings at just after 3pm today and was pulled out of the harbour by a tug
Asylum seekers leaving the barge in October last year. They have been dispersed around the country to hotels in places like Cardiff, Wolverhampton and Bristol
Campaigners have urged the UK Government to publish data on migrant deaths as it currently does not confirm any figures.
Evidence points to migrants crossing on increasingly dangerous boats with little or no safety equipment.
According to the Marine Traffic website one of the tugs towing it is is bound for Holland.
A spokesperson for Portland Port, which was rumoured to have been paid more than £2m for housing the Bibby, refused to comment.
The Home Office have been approached for a comment.
