A furious Steve Rotheram has said that government plans to house 1800 asylum seekers on a boat in the River Mersey as a 'clear attempt to divide' the people of Merseyside at a time when 'our unity has never been more important.'
In a fiercely worded statement, the Liverpool City Region Mayor said news of the proposals to house asylum seekers on a large vessel near Birkenhead - reported by the ECHO this weekend - had 'sent shockwaves across our area.'
The Home Office contacted Wirral Council on Friday to inform them of its plans, which could see a vessel based close to the Wirral Waters regeneration area.
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The news has prompted angry responses from local MPs and charities, who have said such a vessel would essentially be a 'floating prison.'
Now Mayor Rotheram has had his say and castigated the government for what he says is a blatant attempt to cause division on Merseyside.
He said: “Our city region has been a sanctuary for people seeking refuge for hundreds of years. That is why news of the Home Secretary’s plan to house more than 1800 asylum seekers on a disused ferry moored off the Wirral has sent shockwaves across our area.
“Here, ferries are an iconic part of our culture and heritage. They serve to connect people with opportunity – and each other – not as a dumping ground to isolate vulnerable people during their greatest moment of need.
He added: “This latest PR gimmick from the Home Secretary is nothing more than an attempt to grab sensationalist headlines and deflect attention from the real issue: this government’s woeful economic failures.
“It is a clear attempt by the Conservatives to divide us at a time when our region’s unity has never been more important.
“We can be better. We must be better.”
Speaking about the plans, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.
“We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6 million a day.
“We have to use alternative accommodation options, as our European neighbours are doing – including the use of barges and ferries to save the British taxpayer money and to prevent the UK becoming a magnet for asylum shoppers in Europe.”
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