Housing asylum seekers on Bibby Stockholm barge is discriminatory, Home Office finds

Housing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge is discriminatory, according to the Home Office’s own review of the policy.

The department’s equality impact assessment found that the policy breaks the 2010 Equality Act on the grounds of sex and age, and that changes may be needed.

It said the policy is “directly discriminating in relation to age and sex” because it is only suitable for men between 18 and 65 years old.

But the assessment, published on Wednesday, added that the act allows discrimination “if treatment is justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”, arguing that this condition is met.

It comes just weeks after 27-year-old Albanian Leonard Farruku was found dead onboard the vessel. There were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances, an inquest heard. His sister claimed that he had been treated like “an animal” on board and that he was heard shouting the night before he died.

Around 70 asylum seekers are now living on the barge at Portland port, Dorset, after it was finally given the all clear after a series of health scares.

Previously 39 migrants had to be moved off the vessel following the discovery of legionella bacteria in the water supply.

The Bibby Stockholm was initially supposed to house about 500 people but the Home Office has now reduced this to a maximum of 425. Ministers hope the barge will help cut the huge bills associated with housing asylum seekers in hotels while their claims are processed.

The Home Office’s impact assessment of the policy said: “As only those between the ages of 18 and 65 would be accommodated at Portland, the policy gives rise to direct discrimination on the ground of age as those under 18 and over 65 are precluded.”

And it says there is “differential treatment” between men and women because the Bibby Stockholm is only being used for single adult males.

But it added: “As there are far more male asylum seekers than females and many of the female claimants have children, it has been decided that it is appropriate to use the site for male asylum seekers only.”

The assessment found that the policy was not discriminatory on the basis of race, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

Charity bosses have repeatedly warned against housing asylum seekers on the barge, arguing it will have a detrimental impact on asylum seekers’ wellbeing.

Charlotte Khan, head of advocacy and public affairs at Care4Calais said: “Placing humans in prison-like barges and camps, held behind barbed wire fences and segregated from the rest of society, is discriminatory by its very nature and it’s telling that the Government’s own equality impact assessment accepts that’s the case for certain groups.

“People on the Bibby Stockholm have consistently told us that they feel that the Government are treating them like animals by putting them on the barge.

“It’s no wonder then that the Bibby Stockholm has become a symbolic illustration for this Government’s proxy-war against asylum seekers. It needs closing down before the survivors of torture and persecution are put through more suffering.”