Last asylum seekers leave controversial UK barge

LONDON: The last remaining asylum seekers being housed on the controversial floating accommodation barge Bibby Stockholm in southern England have left, local authorities said on Wednesday.

“We can confirm that the last residents moved off the barge” on Tuesday, Dorset Council told AFP, bringing an end to over one year of political wrangling over the vessel moored in Portland.

The new Labour government decided not to renew a contract with the vessel due to expire in January 2025, after coming to power in July, citing additional costs to taxpayers.

Local charity Portland Global Friendship Group said eight remaining asylum seekers had left the barge, with the residents “dispersed across the country” in line with an agreement not to house them locally in Dorset.

“Portland Global Friendship Group continues to support some asylum seekers as they navigate the complex asylum process,” a spokesperson told AFP.

Some had received “positive decisions, and some had their applications rejected, according to the spokesperson. Bibby Stockholm was championed by Rishi Sunak´s previous Conservative government as a cost-cutting measure aimed at reducing the use of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers.

However, it came under fierce criticism over reports of poor conditions on board, fears of Legionella bacteria and one man dying in a suspected suicide.