Dorset migrant barge: Council drops legal threat against government

The 222-bedroom, three-storey vessel, will house around 500 migrants when it is in position in Portland Port

A local authority has ruled out taking legal action over a barge set to house migrants off the Dorset coast.

Dorset Council has announced it will not challenge the Home Office's decision to site The Bibby Stockholm in Portland Port through the courts.

The council said it believed such action would be unlikely to succeed and incur high costs for Dorset taxpayers.

The government said the barge would provide basic accommodation, reducing the reliance on more costly hotels.

The three-storey barge, which has 222 rooms and can house more than 500 people, is expected to arrive at Portland Port this month.

In a statement, the council said: "After much careful consideration, Dorset Council has decided to not pursue legal action to challenge the Home Office's decision to site a barge for asylum seekers in Portland Port.

"Based on specialist legal advice, and the experience other councils have had across the country, any legal action we take is unlikely to be successful and would incur high costs to Dorset taxpayers.

"We are committed to working with the Home Office and our partners to ensure minimal impact to public services for local people, and that provision for the asylum seekers is properly resourced and is effective."

The Bibby Stockholm has previously been used to house homeless people and asylum seekers in Germany and the Netherlands

The first residents could start to move into the vessel as part of a staggered arrival from July.

The barge is expected to dock for at least 18 months at the Dorset port.

Protests have been held ahead of its arrival. Some residents said they have not been consulted over the use of the three-storey barge and say they fear local services will be impacted by the number of refugees.

Portland Port previously said providing berthing space for the barge was "the right thing to do".

The barge has been under assessment and refurbishment in Falmouth, Cornwall, before moving into position in Portland

The port said it was working to minimise its impact locally and maximise the benefits of its stay.

Two new barges have been purchased to house up to 1,000 migrants, the prime minister has announced, as he said plans to tackle small boats crossing the Channel are working.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the location of the new barges would be announced soon.