Asylum seekers who were taken off the Bibby Stockholm after deadly bacteria were found on board are set to return to the accommodation barge.
Food supplies have been brought on board the floating vessel and letters have been sent to asylum seekers confirming their re-embarkation, which will reportedly take place on Thursday.
All necessary tests have been completed on the floating vessel, the Home Office has said, after legionella bacteria, which can lead to the deadly lung infection Legionnaires’ disease, were found on board in August.
Supplies are taken onto the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge at Portland Port
The re-embarkation comes after Portland Mayor, Carralyn Parkes, lost a High Court fight with Home Secretary Suella Braverman over the lawfulness of housing asylum seekers on the barge.
Mrs Parkes argued housing asylum seekers on the barge breached planning and equality regulations and claimed environmental impact assessments and the the 2010 Equality Act had not been complied with.
Lawyers representing the home secretary argued Mrs Parkes’ claim was “out of time” and “without merit”, and that the local planning authority did not think planning permission was required.
A Home Office spokesperson said previously: “The Home Office has started to send letters to asylum seekers to confirm the re-embarkation of the Bibby Stockholm and notify them that they will be accommodated on board, following the vessel completing all necessary tests.
“The letters confirm the next steps for asylum seekers and reiterate that all asylum accommodation continues to be offered on a no-choice basis.”
The Bibby Stockholm can house up to 500 people
Individual legal challenges against returning to the barge are under way by some people, The Guardian reported.
A total of 39 migrants were moved onto the floating accommodation in August as part of a government plan to cut down the number being housed in hotels, but within days the men were moved off the vessel after legionella bacteria were found in the water supply.
The Bibby Stockholm is a three-storey floating vessel
The barge, which can house up to 500 people, is among a number of controversial accommodation options the government has begun rolling out to provide cheaper alternative housing for migrants awaiting the processing of asylum applications – including former military bases.
Rival protesters argue in Portland in Dorset after the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge arrived
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping the migrant boats crossing the Channel one of his top five priorities ahead of a likely general election next year.
Protests have taken place in Portland over the presence of the barge, with some opposed to it being there, while others have complained about the use of a barge to house asylum seekers.
