Bibby Stockholm migrant barge to be closed

The Bibby Stockholm houses migrants awaiting the results of their asylum claims

The contract for the Bibby Stockholm barge, which houses asylum seekers off the coast of Dorset, will not be renewed past January, the Home Office has announced.

Extending the use of the barge, which is moored off Portland, would have cost more than £20m next year.

The three-storey vessel has capacity for up to 500 men, aged from 18 to 65.

Now run under a Labour government, the Home Office said the move was part of a commitment to “clear the backlog and fix the asylum system”.

Campaigners opposing the barge have held protest marches

Dame Angela Eagle, the minister for border security and asylum, said she wanted the asylum system to operate "swiftly, firmly and fairly" and ensure the rules were properly enforced.

“The Home Secretary has set out plans to start clearing the asylum backlog and making savings on accommodation which is running up vast bills for the taxpayer," she said.

Ending the use of the Bibby Stockholm forms part of the expected £7.7bn of savings in asylum costs over the next decade.

The barge will continue to house migrants until the contract expires in January 2025.

It is almost a year since the first residents were moved on to the Bibby Stockholm.

The previous Conservative government said it was introduced to ease the pressure on the asylum system.

Some residents on Portland objected to the barge, concerned that the local community had not been consulted and fearing the impact on local services like healthcare.

Campaigners also expressed worries about the conditions the men were living under and called for the barge to be shut down.

Traces of Legionella bacteria were found in the barge's on-board water system, just days after the first migrants boarded in August 2023.

Welfare concerns were also sparked after Albanian migrant Leonard Farruku, 27, was found dead in his cabin. He is thought to have taken his own life.

In July, some asylum seekers living on the barge held a protest to highlight "lengthy delays" in processing their claims

Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland said the authority had always been opposed to the barge being sited at Portland Port, and that the latest decision was "welcome".

“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," he said.

“We will work closely with the Home Office and other partners to ensure the smooth running of arrangements over the final few months.”