The federal government contract for the controversial asylum barge in Dorset has ended.
The final asylum seekers are believed to have left Bibby Stockholm on the finish of November after Labour mentioned it might have value greater than £20m to run in 2025.
It is at the moment unclear when Bibby Stockholm will depart Portland and what it will likely be used for subsequent.
The Conservative authorities began utilizing the vessel in August 2023.
It mentioned placing practically 500 males on board whereas they waited for an asylum determination was cheaper than paying for lodge rooms.
Nonetheless, it was controversial from the beginning and sparked authorized challenges and protests.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
0:49
August: 2023: Barge reminds migrant of Islamic State
Days after the primary group boarded there was an outbreak of Legionella micro organism within the water system and it needed to be evacuated for 2 months.
In December 2023, an Albanian asylum seeker, Leonard Farruku, died on board.
A Residence Workplace spokesperson mentioned the federal government was decided to reform the asylum system to make it function “swiftly, firmly and fairly”.
“This includes our accommodation sites, as we continue to identify a range of options to reduce the use of hotels,” the brand new assertion added.
“We are already closing some hotels and will continue to engage with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process.”
