A FAMILY firm that is hosting the UK Government’s controversial migrant barge has been revealed to be a major UKIP donor.
Langham Industries – which owns Portland Port in Dorset, where the Bibby Stockholm is docked – has donated more than £70,000 to UKIP, as reported by The Daily Mirror.
Late founder John Langham was described as an “avid supporter” of UKIP in an obituary in 2017. And now, his children – all of whom are directors of the family firm with links to high-profile Tories including Rishi Sunak – are set to profit from an 18-month contract with the Home Office.
While Portland Port refused to reveal how much the Home Office is paying for berthing the barge, the deal could be worth as much as £2.5 million given its website cites berthing fees for a ship the size of the Bibby Stockholm at more than £4,000 a day.
The Home Office is expecting to send an initial 50 people to the barge on Tuesday despite safety concerns and local opposition.
Numbers are due to rise gradually over the coming months, with the floating facility set to host around 500 men at a time under Government efforts to reduce the use of hotels to house people awaiting the results of asylum claims.
But refugee charities said the use of barges and former military bases to house asylum seekers is damaging to the needs of vulnerable people, and also raised concerns for migrants’ safety.
A month behind schedule after undergoing repairs, Bibby Stockholm was met by protesters as it arrived in Portland Port on Tuesday last week.
Some residents have also raised concerns for their safety on the island with a population of around 13,000 and argued that it does not have the infrastructure to provide for the newcomers and those already there.
The Home Office said: “Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites will provide cheaper and more orderly, suitable accommodation for those arriving in small boats. Modular buildings will house asylum seekers as they await a decision on their claim, which will help us to reduce the use of hotels.”
