Bibby Stockholm migrant barge to close by January
A contract to use the vessel at Portland Port won't be renewed
Last updated 23rd Jul 2024
The contract to use the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge to house asylum seekers won't be renewed when it expires in January.
Ending its use at Portland Port forms part of the £7.7 billion of savings in asylum costs announced by the new Home Secretary yesterday (Monday 22nd July).
The new leader of Dorset Council has made plans to meet with those still living onboard.
Campaigners have been calling for migrants to be moved off the vessel since it was first opened, claiming living conditions have been poor and cramped.
Lynne Hubbard is from Stand Up to Racism Dorset:
"This is great news that the Bibby Stockholm is at long last closing - however January is still a long way away and in the meantime we'd want conditions to improve greatly and for people to be discharged from the barge as soon as possible."
Dorset Council has also welcomed the announcement - Cllr Nick Ireland has said:
“We very much welcome the news that the Bibby Stockholm barge will no longer be operational in Portland after January 2025. Our thanks go to the new Labour government for taking an early decision on this.
“Since the Bibby Stockholm arrived a year ago, we have worked hard to support the residents of the barge and also tried to mitigate the impact on local communities. Dorset Council has been opposed to the barge being sited at Portland Port from the very beginning as this was never a suitable location for this facility.
“We will work closely with the Home Office and other partners to ensure the smooth running of arrangements over the final few months.”
South Dorset's new Labour MP, Lloyd Hatton has posted on X to praise the move too.
He's described the barge as an 'unworkable, expensive and ineffective gimmick'.