 The first asylum seekers have arrived on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, according to reports. Around 50 people are believed to be in the first group to be moved to the boat under controversial government plans. Rishi Sunak has said the accommodation will 'help solve a serious problem', telling LBC last week: 'This is an example of me doing something different that hasn't been done before.' But dozens of human rights organisations and campaigners, including the Refugee Council and the Institute for Race Relations, signed an open letter last month saying the proposal was 'cruel and inhumane'. The firefighters' union warned concerns over overcrowding and access to fire exits would make the Bibby Stockholm a 'potential deathtrap'. However, immigration minister Robert Jenrick offered a guarantee that it is a 'safe facility' and said it would welcome its first occupants 'in the coming days'. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
The first asylum seekers have arrived on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, as the Home Office suggests it could reach its capacity of 500 by the end of the week.
Around 50 people are believed to be in the first group to be moved to the boat under controversial government plans.
Rishi Sunak has said the accommodation will ‘help solve a serious problem’, telling LBC last week: ‘This is an example of me doing something different that hasn’t been done before.’
But dozens of human rights organisations and campaigners, including the Refugee Council and the Institute for Race Relations, signed an open letter last month saying the proposal was ‘cruel and inhumane’.