Bibby Stockholm: Home Secretary defends handling of migrant barge

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has defended the government's handling of an accommodation barge that has been empty for more than a month.

The Bibby Stockholm, docked at Portland Port in Dorset, was evacuated of its first 39 residents after Legionella bacteria was found in the water supply.

Ms Braverman said "various procedures" needed to be completed before they could return to the vessel.

But she said the government had done "really well" in its work on the barge.

The 222-room barge is part of the government's migration policy intended to cut the cost of housing asylum seekers.

Suella Braverman said she was disappointed that migrants had to be taken off the barge in August

Ms Braverman did not indicate when migrants might be able to return to the vessel

"We were disappointed, obviously, that we had to take people off the barge in August," she told LBC.

"We are carrying out all of the necessary checks and authorisations and, once those are completed, we'll be re-embarking people as quickly as possible."

Asked what is causing the delay, she replied: "This is a complex issue. I think we've done very well to stand up the barge so far - there's been a lot of project management, a lot of intensive work across all of government to stand up these new sites from scratch."

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Ms Braverman said she remained confident in the safety of the barge, which is expected to house more than 500 asylum seekers, despite the setbacks, which have included threats of legal action from a firefighters' union.

It comes after the Home Office's annual accounts showed the department was paying "around £8m" a day for asylum seekers to be put up in hotels.

The figure is higher than the £6m daily cost cited by Ms Braverman in the Commons on Monday.

Labour home affairs spokeswoman Yvette Cooper said the bill for hotels was "astronomical" and accused the Tories of failing to grip the issue of unlawful migration.

Protests have continued against the barge over the past week to object to the government's continued efforts to house asylum seekers on the vessel.

On Saturday, anti-immigration campaigners gathered near the site with signs calling to "stop the invasion" and have criticised the cost of housing asylum seekers in comparison to the "cash-strapped, government-neglected NHS".

On Tuesday, a member of campaign group Freedom of Torture visited the site and described Bibby Stockholm as a "cruel floating prison".

Concerns have been raised about the barge, both from organisations such as the Fire Brigades Union, which called the barge a "potential deathtrap", and local community campaigners.

The barge owners have said it features catering facilities, quiet rooms, faith rooms, a TV lounge, a space for games and a computer room so the migrants can access the internet.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The health and welfare of asylum seekers remains of the utmost priority, and we are working closely with external partners to further improve safety measures on the vessel.

"The Bibby Stockholm successfully completed all fire and safety checks ahead the first individuals boarding and individuals will return to the barge in due course."