PLANS to house asylum seekers on a barge docked off the coast of Dorset have been condemned as "ministerial cruelty".
The UK Government announced that the Bibby Stockholm vessel will hold 500 asylum seekers for at least 18 months on Wednesday afternoon.
Amnesty International blasted the Tories and said it was another sign of ministers trying to "obscure" their "gross mismanagement" of the system.
The Home Office said “basic and functional accommodation” and 24/7 security will be provided on the Bibby Stockholm under plans to reduce the costly reliance on hotels.
The cost of the lease agreement for the vessel that will be docked at Portland Port has not been set out.
Amnesty International UK’s Steve Valdez-Symonds said: “Confining hundreds of people in isolation on a barge is just more of the political theatre that the [UK] Government has created to obscure its gross mismanagement of the asylum system.
“Along with the disastrous Rwanda scheme, all talk of barges, cruise ships and former military barracks should be abandoned.
“Anyone seeking asylum in this country should be housed in decent accommodation with proper facilities and, crucially, their claims should be properly and consistently processed.”
The Refugee Council added the barge will be “completely inadequate” to house “vulnerable people who have come to our country in search of safety having fled beatings and death threats in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran”.
Tory-run Dorset Council opposed the move and said it had “serious reservations” about Portland Port’s suitability as a location for the barge.
In a statement, the local authority said: “We are aware of the Home Secretary’s announcement this afternoon, confirming the Home Office wishes to proceed with its plans to house asylum seekers in floating accommodation at Portland Port.
“Dorset Council’s position has not changed. We still have serious reservations about the appropriateness of Portland Port in this scenario and we remain opposed to the proposals.
“However, the council will continue to support and acknowledge the concerns of our residents and local businesses.
“There are a number of questions which the Home Secretary’s announcement does not address, we will continue to press the Home Office for answers and await further information.”
Confirming the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge, immigration minister Robert Jenrick said on Wednesday afternoon: “The Home Secretary and I have been clear that the use of expensive hotels to house those making unnecessary and dangerous journeys must stop.
“We will not elevate the interests of illegal migrants over the British people we are elected to serve.
“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 [from] becoming a magnet for asylum shoppers in Europe.
“All accommodation will meet our legal obligations and we will work closely with the local community to address their concerns, including through financial support.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended the use of the barge, insisting it would save taxpayers’ money.
On a local election campaign trip to Peterborough he said: “I think everybody knows one of my five priorities is to stop the boats, and as part of that, we’ve got to reduce the pressure on hotels in communities up and down the country.
“We are spending, as a country, £6 million a day housing illegal asylum seekers in hotels – that can’t be right.
“I’ve committed to reducing that number, moving asylum seekers out of hotels and that means we need to find alternative sites, including barges like the one we’ve brought forward today.
“That’s going to save the taxpayer money, reduce pressure on hotels and it’s part of our broader plan to stop the boats.”
