BBC reporter Ellie Price is just outside Portland Port in Dorset. While she understands there are already a number of migrants on board the Bibby Stockholm, it's difficult to put a figure on it.

"I can’t tell you exactly how many, I’m afraid. Probably understandably, the Home Office is being a bit cagey about numbers - they don’t want to be seen to be putting numbers on it, because I think that would imply whether there's been a success or not."

It's not known exactly how many will arrive today.

Refugee charity Care4Calais says none of the asylum seekers represented by them boarded the Bibby Stockholm barge today.

Chief executive Steve Smith says their transfers were "cancelled" by lawyers.

He says their clients include people with disability and survivors of torture and modern slavery.

"To house any human being in a 'quasi floating prison' like the Bibby Stockholm is inhumane. To try and do so with this group of people is unbelievably cruel. Even just receiving the notices is causing them a great deal of anxiety," he says.

He called on the government to house asylum seekers in communities instead, not on barges.

Image source, PA Media

Conditions on the barge have been discussed at length, with campaigners arguing the asylum seekers on board will be living in a "inhumane" and "inappropriate" setting.

Here is what we know about some of the barge's key features, based on the descriptions given by BBC reporters who went on the Bibby:

• The cabins are "relatively spacious" and include a desk, wardrobe, safe locker, TV and large windows. They will house four to six men
• Each room has an en suite bathroom with a shower and there are additional facilities on each of the three floors

• There's a TV room with a big screen and sofas, a multi-faith prayer room and a classroom which can be used for meetings and activities
• The dining room is large, with a long serving counter and tables of six set out in rows
• The sample menu includes eggs and pancakes for breakfast, potato soup and beef stew for dinner - this will change regularly and cater for individual needs and religious requirements
• There's a gym and outdoor recreational space in the two courtyards in the centre of the barge
• Alcohol will not be available for purchase on board
• There will be no curfew, but barge residents will be "strongly encouraged" to return to the ship by 23:00 each night

Image source, PA Media

Peter Henley
BBC South political editor

Back in March, Portland Port bosses said “only those people considered suitable and most deserving” would be going aboard. Strict screening has included health checks to protect the local NHS.

The Port say they insisted on single men with no criminal record nearing the end of the asylum process.

But the government doesn’t want this to be seen as a holiday cruise. Where other than a prison would you be forced to share a room with a stranger? The bunks are basic, sending a message to taxpayers.

And the wider message to migrants is clear too. With plans for hefty fines for those who employ migrants illegally and talk of flights to Ascension Island, the Bibby Stockholm is more a huge government warning sign than a floating hotel.

How long will asylum seekers be on board?published at 13:26 British Summer Time 7 August 2023

13:26 BST 7 August 2023

Those on board Bibby Stockholm will be housed there while they wait for their asylum applications to be processed, so how long could they be waiting?

In 2021, the average wait in the UK was 15.5 months, according to the Oxford Migration Observatory think tank.

This does not mean the men will be on the boat for that long, as their applications are already being processed.

By comparison, the average wait for an aslylum decision was 8.5 months in France, 6.5 months in Germany and just over three months in Austria.

The delay in the UK has created a backlog of more than 172,000 people. The prime minister has pledged to clear, by the end of 2023, 92,601 asylum cases logged before June 2022.

Will the government's plans work?published at 13:09 British Summer Time 7 August 2023

13:09 BST 7 August 2023

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Housing asylum seekers on a barge is one of a number of "deterrents” the government is pushing to try and stop small boat Channel crossings.

Its plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda is still subject to legal challenge.

Ministers have also announced that fines for businesses and landlords who knowingly support illegal migrants are set to triple.

The outstanding question though is: will this work?

Those making the dangerous crossing have already - by definition - not been deterred by the huge risks to life that the crossing entails.

But ministers argue reducing the "pull factors" will help get numbers down.

Downing Street has played down suggestions the Bibby Stockholm could be filled to capacity by Sunday, following a minister's suggestion earlier that 500 men could be on board by the end of the week.

Asked about Sarah Dines' remarks, the prime minister's spokesman said she was referring to the total capacity of the accommodation barge, and they weren't "aiming" to fill it by the weekend.

The number on board would increase over time, he said, and there was "no limit" on arrivals this week.

Michele Cross
Reporting from Bournemouth

A little earlier, I spoke to an asylum seeker outside the Chine Hotel in Bournemouth.

He came out of the hotel to say nine people were supposed to get on the coach to the Bibby Stockholm initially, but all but one have refused - so only one person will be in the vehicle.

We were shown around the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland earlier this month, before anyone was housed in the vessel.

Take a look at our 53-second clip:

The barge was previously used for offshore energy workers, who used single occupancy rooms.

However, the 222 single-bed cabins have been refitted to become into twin rooms. Other rooms have become four- or six-bed dormitories.

The barge owner - Liverpool-based Bibby Marine - says the vessel can accommodate 506 people.

Catering facilities, quiet rooms, faith rooms, a TV lounge and space for games have survived the refit and a computer room has been created to enable asylum seekers to access the internet.

Image source, PA Media

There has been considerable local opposition to the Bibby Stockholm barge, amid fears about the impact an eventual 500 asylum seekers will have on local services in Portland, including on healthcare, and also about the conditions for residents on board.

More than 50 national organisations and campaigners, including the Refugee Council, Asylum Matters and Refugee Action, called the government plan "cruel and inhumane".

They said the vessel was "entirely inappropriate" and would house traumatised migrants in "detention-like conditions".

It's worth pointing out there's no requirement for migrants to stay on board the Bibby Stockholm because they are not officially detained.

Dorset Police say they expect the barge to have no impact on local crime levels, and Dorset Council - while saying it had no choice but to accept the barge - says it can protect services thanks to an extra £1.7m government grant.

The Home Office says it will support the migrants' welfare with basic healthcare, organised activities and recreation.

A long time coming - and not without controversypublished at 12:33 British Summer Time 7 August 2023

12:33 BST 7 August 2023

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

This has been a long time coming.

The government's plan to house some asylum seekers on a barge has been delayed multiple times - including after more health and safety checks were needed.

Ministers hope this will help tackle the asylum backlog and reduce government spending on hotel accommodation.

But it's not without its political - and local - controversy.

The government has eyed other bases for barges and inland alternatives like former RAF bases.

Touted plans have often received a backlash from local MPs and residents.

The BBC understands that the first migrants have arrived on the Bibby Stockholm barge, with further arrivals expected today.

Dulcie Lee
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

The government is due to start boarding asylum seekers onto the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset shortly, as part of its plans to reduce the cost of asylum accommodation.

It’s the first time a barge has been used in this way in the UK, and ministers say it’ll be more cost-effective than using hotels - but critics have called it "cruel and inhumane".

The move-in date has been delayed several times, and local residents have raised objections - both worries about the asylum seekers’ welfare and the potential impact on local services.

The Home Office has repeatedly insisted the barge, which will house about 500 asylum seekers, meets all safety standards.

Stick with us as we bring you the latest.