Asylum seekers to have less space than a car parking bay on ‘quasi-prison’ barge

Asylum seekers will have less living space than an average parking bay on a barge likened to a “quasi-prison” by a Conservative MP.

The Home Office says it will house around 500 people on the Bibby Stockholm, with a “phased programme of embarkation” starting after it is towed to Portland port in Dorset.

But an official brochure released by owner Bibby Marine shows there are only 222 “single en-suite bedrooms” on board, meaning that at least two people may have to be crammed into every cabin for the government to achieve its aim.

Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, said that packing asylum seekers in so densely would “exacerbate the potential for trouble hugely”.

He told The Independent the barge “will be in effect a quasi-prison” because restrictions in the busy port mean people cannot “just wander around”.

“They will only go in and out in one bus, leaving hundreds more sitting there twiddling their fingers,” Mr Drax added.

“What are they going to do on this barge every single day, week after week, month after month? What on earth are they going to do?”

The Home Office would not answer questions on whether it would be using bunk beds to increase capacity on the Bibby Stockholm, or downgrading standards by converting recreational and exercise spaces into sleeping areas.

But The Independent understands that single rooms can be converted into double or multiple occupancy, depending on the size, by using additional beds and bunks.

The vessel’s marketing website has been changed in recent months, from saying it “houses 222 guests” to “up to 506 guests”.

Calculations show that at the full capacity claimed, each asylum seeker would have under 15 square metres of living space – the size of a typical car parking space, according to Dorset Council.

Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, said the barge was a “symbol of the Home Office's complete failure to clear the asylum backlog and tackle criminal gangs driving channel crossings”.

He added: “Five hundred people on the barge is only 0.3 per cent of the asylum backlog – but now it looks like the Home Office aren't even clear themselves on how many people will actually be housed there.

“As always, it is British taxpayers who will pay the price for this chaos.”

At least one person died and there were reports of rape and abuse on the Bibby Stockholm when it was used by the Dutch government to detain asylum seekers in the 2000s.

A 2008 Amnesty International report obtained by The Independent contains testimony from a 32-year-old asylum seeker called Ben, who described “four people in a cell” on board.

He said there were “frequent fights” over the television, cleaning and noise, adding: “There is only a little daylight in the cells … in the morning the guards would open the cell with their nose covered to protect themselves against the stench.

“The conditions force you into submission; they kill you psychologically.”

The Bibby Stockholm was later used for commercial contracts to house workers, with its owners saying a “major refurbishment programme” took place before a 2013 charter for Petrofac created the current layout.

Mr Drax voiced concern that the barge would exacerbate welfare issues seen in asylum hotels, including disappearances and reports of sexual assault.

The Conservative MP said the local council was “looking at” legal action to stop the plans and that it had not been consulted in advance.

“We’ve just been told you’re getting a barge and that’s it – the questions come thick and fast and there are no answers,” he added.

“I don’t think the port has thought this through and I certainly don’t think they’ve thought through the effect it will have on a very sensitive holiday economy.”

Mr Drax is also concerned about the prospect of far-right groups travelling to Portland to film the barge and hold protests, following a pattern of similar activity targeting hotels used to house asylum seekers nationwide.

Dover Council said it had “serious reservations about the appropriateness of Portland port in this scenario and we remain opposed to the proposals”, adding: “We will continue to press the Home Office for answers and await further information.”

The government has said accommodating asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm and military sites will be a cheaper alternative to hotels, but has not acknowledged a watchdog report accusing the Home Office of driving up “soaring” spending with its own failings.

The use of barges and cruise ships to house asylum seekers was previously ruled out by the Treasury on cost grounds, while Rishi Sunak was chancellor.

Scoping work by the Home Office warned that because asylum seekers could not be detained on vessels, there were significant practical issues in allowing them to move around busy ports and travel to GP surgeries and other vital amenities.

James Wilson, the director of charity Detention Action, said: “This government should treat people seeking asylum here with kindness and dignity, not drive them into cramped, prison-like barges and bases.

“We're extremely concerned that Suella Braverman's latest legislation will give her the power to transform these completely unsuitable sites into closed detention facilities, trapping people behind high fences for months or even years.”

A spokesperson for private Portland Port said it had agreed for the barge to be moored for 18 months initially, and aimed to “maximise economic benefits from the vessel and minimise the impact on public services in the area”.

“Access arrangements will be discussed between Dorset Council, the Home Office and Portland Port,” he added.

The borders watchdog called for the Home Office to “apply lessons” from previous asylum accommodation disasters at Napier Camp and Penally Barracks, which saw Covid outbreaks and disorder in filthy and cramped conditions.

David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, wrote in The Daily Telegraph: “At several points in recent years, the department has struggled to stand up facilities that efficiently and effectively deliver accommodation that is appropriate and humane.”

He said the Home Office must ensure proper medical care, catering, cleaning services, transport, opportunities for purposeful activity and legal advice are “accessible from day one”.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said only “single adult males” would be accommodated on the Bibby Stockholm, adding: “All accommodation will meet our legal obligations and we will work closely with the local community to address their concerns, including through financial support.”