Government hopes to house 3000 migrants at non-hotel sites by Autumn
Former RAF base at Scampton among sites set to provide accommodation
Last updated 21st Jul 2023
The Government says it hopes that around 3000 asylum seekers will be housed in 'non hotel accommodation' by the autumn, with many of them being sent to the former RAF Scampton site.
Around 500 migrants will be housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, with the rest set to be given accommodation at Scampton and at Wethersfield in Essex, the Home Office said.
The exact timescale is still in doubt.
Earlier this week, the Home Office said around 50 people would arrive "from next week", with numbers gradually rising over the coming months.
Facing questions from reporters on Friday, officials refused to specify a date or confirm if there had been any further delays to the plans, instead insisting the arrivals would be in the coming weeks.
The Bibby barge arrived in the Dorset port a month behind schedule after maintenance work - which included mechanical repairs and adding more beds to boost capacity - was carried out in Falmouth, Cornwall.
During a press tour of the vessel, officials also remained tight-lipped on the daily running cost of the barge but stressed it was "significantly" cheaper than the Ă‚ÂŁ6 million-a-day taxpayer bill of using hotels.
Single men will live on the barge - where there is 24-hour security - in bunk beds with between two and six people per en-suite room.
A canteen, gym, classroom, exercise yards, television room and space for worship are among the "basic" facilities on board.
A nurse will also be stationed on the barge five days a week, with asylum seekers having access to a doctor if needed.
The inhabitants do not have a curfew but are expected to sleep aboard overnight.
They will be able to use an hourly bus service with stops in the surrounding area between 7am and 11pm, with migrants also free to leave on foot if they choose once outside the port compound. But inside the perimeter, they must board a shuttle bus to be taken from the barge to the gate because of safety rules inside the working port.
Dorset Council is receiving Ă‚ÂŁ3,500 per occupied bedspace on the Bibby Stockholm, with additional funding provided to local NHS services and police, the Home Office said.
It is understood the council has also received almost Ă‚ÂŁ380,000 in a one-off grant to help support local charity and voluntary organisations provide services on board.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: "This Government has been clear that those who arrive in the UK illegally should not be housed in expensive hotels.
"Our use of alternative accommodation sites and vessels provide basic and appropriate standards for small boats arrivals while their claims are determined.
"We are providing substantial financial support to the local council and are committed to working with key stakeholders to ensure the Portland vessel and Wethersfield site have as little impact as possible for communities.
"Ultimately, the best way to relieve pressures on communities is to stop the boats in the first place."
The Scampton plans are currently facing a legal challenge from West Lindsey District council.