A port where a barge housing asylum seekers is set to dock has reportedly removed its cruise ship schedule from its website in a bid to deter far-right protests. The Bibby Stockholm arrived on Tuesday in Falmouth, Cornwall, where the accommodation barge will undergo an assessment and refurbishment.
The vessel, which will house around 500 migrants, is then expected to be moved into position at the Portland of Port in Dorset in the next few weeks. According to The Times, the Portland Port has looked to deter anti-migrant demonstrations, which are expected in protest at the barge’s presence, from targeting the arrival of tourists coming into the area on cruise ships.
The newspaper said the south Dorset harbour usually advertises the arrival and departure dates on its website of the 40 or more cruises set to dock at the port during the year. But The Times said that, after criticism of its plans to allow the Bibby Stockholm to moor in its waters, the port’s website has removed the dates.
