The first group of illegal immigrants have moved on to the Bibby Stockholm barge.
They arrived at the accommodation vessel moored in Portland Port, Dorset, on Monday, where they were welcomed by a group of locals who held banners in support.
Pictures taken on Monday afternoon show two men being escorted on to the barge by staff in high-vis jackets, while a coach was also seen arriving at the port.
However, according to charity Care4Calais, around 20 illegal immigrants did not board the barge because their transfers were “cancelled” by lawyers.
It comes after Home Office minister Sarah Dines said on Monday morning the barge would be in use “imminently,” despite a series of delays.
She also confirmed “all possibilities” for tackling the migrant crisis are being examined, following reports that the government is considering reviving plans to fly people who arrive by unauthorised means 4,000 miles to Ascension Island.
Human rights campaigners condemned using the barge to house illegal immigrants.
Care4Calais Chief Executive Steve Smith said that none of the illegal immigrants presented by the charity have gone to the floating accommodation after legal representatives had their transfers cancelled.
Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director Steve Valdez-Symonds said: “Reminiscent of the prison hulks from the Victorian era, the Bibby Stockholm is an utterly shameful way to house people who’ve fled terror, conflict, and persecution.
‘No Limit’
While only a small number of immigrants are expected to be housed on the barge at first, Ms. Dines indicated it could increase rapidly to its capacity of around 500 men.Pressed on whether all of them could be on board by the end of the week, Ms. Dines told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” programme: “Yes, quite possibly it will be 500. We are hoping.”
But Downing Street appeared to suggest she had misspoken, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman saying that while “no limit” has been set on how many people will board the barge this week, the government’s plan is to reach the capacity “over time,” adding, “I don’t think we are aiming to do it by the weekend.”
The Home Office later clarified that the total will be reached over a longer period of time and not by the end of the week.
The postponement was confirmed by Transport Minister Richard Holden who said the vessel was undergoing “final checks,” refusing to put a timescale on when the immigrants would arrive on the Portland Port site.
Small Boats Week
The government hopes the use of the barge and former military bases to house illegal immigrants will reduce the cost of hotel bills.Ms. Dines said those arriving in the country via unauthorised means should have “basic but proper accommodation” and that they “can’t expect to stay in a four-star hotel.”
The developments came during the government’s “small boats week,” in which it is making a series of announcements on the issue that Mr. Sunak has promised to solve.
Civil penalties for employers will be increased up to a maximum of £45,000 per worker for a first breach and £60,000 for repeat offenders, tripling both from the last increase in 2014.
Landlords face fines going from £1,000 per occupier to £10,000, with repeat breaches going from £3,000 to £20,000. Penalties relating to lodgers will also be increased.
More than 15,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel, government figures show.
Some 339 people made the journey on Friday and Saturday after an eight-day hiatus amid poor weather conditions at sea, taking the provisional total for 2023 to date to 15,071.
According to the Home Office, no crossings were recorded on Sunday.
