There was one brief moment of peace when a pair of dolphins surfaced close to where the Bibby Stockholm had just been moored and everyone paused to take in a joyful scene – but apart from that it was a rancorous, ill-tempered day on Portland.
Some of those who turned out to protest next to the beach claimed that the arrival of the hulking barge, which will house up to 500 asylum seekers, would lead to gangs of dangerous men roaming the small island in Dorset, putting residents in danger and sapping resources.
The Home Office said that from next week about 50 asylum seekers would be moved on to the vessel as part of “a carefully structured plan” to increase the number of individuals onboard over the next few months.
Others accused the government and far-right groups of deliberately provoking this sort of reaction to the arrival of the vessel. They did not want the barge there either, not fearing it would cause lawlessness, but because they thought it inhumane to house men in such cramped conditions.
It ended in an ugly clash between members of the No to the Barge group, who claim women and children would be in physical danger from the asylum seekers, and supporters of Stand Up to Racism, who claim ministers and the far right are whipping up hostility.
Angry scenes as the barge that will house asylum seekers in Portland, Dorset, arrives. pic.twitter.com/VqVCrGJ4Um
— steven morris (@stevenmorris20) July 18, 2023
Police had to step in to urge organisers to move their groups away and stood guard to prevent the two sides coming together again. One member of Stand Up to Racism, Annika Garrett, claimed she was told “you deserve to be raped” during the clash.
Sammy Gray, 37, who has three children aged five to 16, and lives close to the port gate, was among the No to the Barge protesters. “We don’t know any background of these men,” she said. “Where’s the women, why aren’t the children with them? I’m going to have to pick my 16-year-old daughter from work because I’m scared. I will not go out. It’s almost putting my kids back into lockdown. I’m petrified. This beach is where we come to watch the dolphins. There’s no chance I can do that now.
“I don’t understand why we have 500 men coming to this very small island. We don’t have enough doctors. My little girl has got to have a tooth out. Two months, we’ve waited on the NHS.”
Michelle Varney, 53, who was born and raised in Portland, said she worried there would be “no-go” areas in the town. “I wouldn’t go out on my own when this lot gets here,” she said. “I feel really anxious. I don’t feel safe in my own town.
“It’s a poor area – people are using food banks. These men will get three meals a day. They will probably take priority over us.”
The Stand Up to Racism campaigners claim the No to the Barge Facebook page is a “cesspit” of hate.
Asylum seekers are sometimes labelled “rapefugees”, “channel rats” or “gimmegrants”. Messages from far-right groups and campaigners including Alek Yerbury, who spoke out at a rally against plans to house asylum seekers at an RAF base in Lincolnshire, have appeared.
One post that has caused particular upset is a suggestion that an incinerator – which had been planned for the island but was dropped after a public outcry – could be used “for the immigrants”.
An activist who has monitored the Facebook page said: “Many local people have been radicalised by local racists and national far-right actors. The situation is quite volatile and potentially dangerous.” He said he expected far-right protests to be held when the asylum seekers arrive.
Philip Marfleet, from Dorchester, also of Stand Up to Racism, said asylum seekers would be made welcome. He said volunteers had offered to put on English lessons and legal sessions for them and welcome them into cricket and football clubs.
“Very large numbers of people across Weymouth and Portland are coming forward to support them,” he added. “But hostility is being whipped up by government strategy and policy.”
Local politicians who have spoken out in support of the asylum seekers have found themselves facing criticism and the prospect of campaigns to oust them.
Portland Labour councillor Paul Kimber continued to sympathise with the men who will be arriving. “Our objections are that having the barge here it is going to be like a prison for them. We are not against refugees, we welcome them here,” he said.
Nick Clarke, the rural dean of Weymouth and Portland, said: “We can do so much better in terms of making refugees more welcome than just putting them on a barge, it just looks like an incarceration. They are in need.”
Chris Loder, the Conservative MP for West Dorset, said he remained firmly opposed and had written to the Home Office to ask if a risk and safety assessment of the barge had been carried out. “This is a last-ditch attempt from me to stop it,” he said. “The Dorset coast is the wrong place to do such a thing.”
Downing Street was unmoved, insisting the barge was a cheaper alternative to housing asylum seekers in hotels. The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “It’s undergoing final inspections upon arrival. That’s the last part of the process ahead of the first group of asylum seekers moving into the vessel later this month.”
Portland Port, part of Langham Industries – sister company to the Langham Wine Estate in Dorset – was getting on with basic matters.
A spokesperson said: “The Bibby Stockholm has arrived at Portland. It will be connected to Portland Port’s fresh water and mains sewerage network over the coming days as part of preparations for the arrival of the first group of asylum seekers in the coming weeks.”
