Britain’s Home Office on Monday threatened to leave without shelter any asylum seekers who refuse to board the “Bibby Stockholm” ship moored in Portland harbor without “reasonable explanation”.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) that supports refugees Care4Calais said on Tuesday that it prevented 20 people from being transferred to the ship. Of the 50 asylum seekers expected to complete this process this week, only 15 have so far done so.
“If asylum seekers do not accept an offer of suitable accommodation without a reasonable reason, do not expect to be offered alternative accommodation,” said a letter from the Home Office to one of the migrants who remained on the ground, the Sky News reported. television station.
Justice Minister Alex Chalk defended this Tuesday on the BBC’s Today program that “it is unlikely” that this action is “illegal”, although he preferred to leave the door open for the courts to speak out on the subject.
“What’s perfectly legal is that the British know this is what we’re offering and it’s not four-star accommodation, but it’s perfectly safe, it’s perfectly dignified and it meets fire safety regulations and who knows what else,” argued he.
Chalk’s statements were issued after several asylum seekers transferred to the port of Portland on Monday refused to board the ship citing “security reasons”, according to the British daily The Guardian.
The UK government has also announced a campaign against “corrupt” lawyers who help illegal immigrants stay in the country by “exploiting the national immigration system”.
“While most lawyers act with integrity, we know that some lie to help illegal immigrants get around the system. It’s not right or fair to those who play by the rules,” Interior Secretary Suella Braverman insisted. .
The controversial project to accommodate asylum seekers on ships docked in British ports has become a symbol of the anti-immigration campaign of the Conservative executive led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Asylum seekers in the UK were housed aboard a ship docked in the South West of England, a highly controversial project that has become a symbol of the UK government’s fight against immigration.
The “Bibby Stockholm” is a huge ship, 93 meters long and 27 meters wide, moored in the port of Portland, in the southwest of England, and intended to temporarily house up to 500 migrants.
Portland was the only port in the country that agreed to dock the ship. Other similar plans had to be abandoned due to lack of safe havens.
The ship will be operational for at least 18 months. According to the government, it will provide “basic housing” for “single adult males while their asylum applications are processed” and provide medical care, meals and security 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sending asylum seekers onto moored ships is one of the most idiosyncratic ideas put forward to save money on hosting these migrants while deterring potential asylum seekers.
The issue has sparked controversy and angered local residents, with some fearing for their safety while others condemn what they call a “floating prison”.
The authorities reject this designation and allow migrants to come and go as they please.
The Conservative government, which was in trouble in the polls a year before the legislature, stepped up its anti-immigration rhetoric and vowed, for now in vain, to end the illegal crossing of the English Channel.
A new law that came into force in July and was even condemned by the UN now bans migrants who have made this dangerous crossing – there were more than 45,000 in 2022 and more than 15,000 since early 2023 – from seeking asylum in the UK .
The asylum system is not meeting needs, with more than 130,000 applications still to be assessed, most of them more than six months ago, according to the latest official figures.
London therefore wants to reduce the bill for accommodation in hotels for asylum seekers, which amounts to £2.3 billion (2.6 billion euros) a year, by using facilities such as decommissioned military bases, moored barges or even purchased tents for the summer.
Source: DN
