‘What is the Bibby Stockholm?’: Home Office not telling asylum seekers they are being moved to a barge

Exclusive: Lawyers reviewing one-page notices arriving in hotels, amid confusion and concern

Asylum seekers being selected for transfer to the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge are not being told it is a ship, The Independent can reveal.

Lawyers are reviewing the one-page notices, which have been sent out since Friday and give recipients no date for their move, no justification for it and no means of challenge.

Each one begins “dear resident”, and contains hand-scrawled hotel room numbers rather than people's names, causing confusion and suspicion that they are fake or have been misdirected.

The Home Office is still planning to move asylum seekers onto the Bibby Stockholm this week in spite of concerns about fire safety, following delays and legal challenges to its accommodation plans for disused military bases.

There are concerns that being housed on the barge will “retraumatise” people who survived dangerous boat journeys to the UK, and although the Home Office claimed “suitability screening” would take place, the criteria being used are unclear.

The government claims the Bibby Stockholm will house 500 people, up from its previous capacity of 222 (AP)

“The letter doesn't say it's a boat,” said one charity worker, who did not want to be named. “It doesn't give a date either, there’s no names or reference numbers. They're picking people up from different places.”

The man, who is helping confused asylum seekers receiving the notices, said cursory communications are common with the Home Office.

“This happens all the time, they can just come to you and say ‘pack',” he added. “If you say no they can evict you.”

A copy of the letter seen by The Independent uses the word “aboard” when discussing the facilities available on the Bibby Stockholm, but refugee advocates say the word is not commonly understood by non-English speakers.

“You are currently being provided with asylum support under of the Immigration and Asylum Act [sic],” it says.

“Your accommodation is changing and you will be moved to the Bibby Stockholm, Portland.

“You are not being detained under immigration powers, and this is not detention accommodation. You are free to leave the site, but we would request that you sign in and out of the site when you leave and return, so we can assure your safety.”

The Bibby Stockholm barge has proved controversial with locals and refugee campaigners (PA)

The letter says there will be access to an on-site nurse, “recreational space”, English classes, unspecified “voluntary sector activities” and “entertainment areas”, as well as a worship room and private space for legal consultations and phone calls.

It directs people to general guidance on the asylum process but does not give any other information or state clearly that the Bibby Stockholm is a barge.

The letter is signed off from the “Home Office Alternative Accommodation Team”, which is believed to be a new unit focused on the barge and disused military bases that the government claims will provide cheaper alternatives to hotels.

Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais said: “The impersonal nature of these letters is causing confusion and anxiety amongst those who are receiving them. People are asking our volunteers whether the letter was intended for them and what is the Bibby Stockholm?

“Some of them have experienced severe trauma at sea before seeking safety in the UK, and finding out that the Bibby is a floating barge is retraumatising them.

“Their cases reinforce that no human should be warehoused on a barge, they should be treated with dignity and housed in communities.“

A view of inside one of the bedrooms onboard the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge at Portland Port in Dorset (PA)

The first group of around 40 people is expected to arrive over the coming days, but ministers claim more than 500 will eventually be housed on the vessel moored in Dorset.

The Independent understands authorities have issued formal warnings about inadequate fire evacuation protocols for the vessel, which contains 222 cabins lining narrow corridors over three decks.

The quayside adjourning the barge is closed off at one end, with 15-foot metal fences and a locked gate separating it from the rest of the port – sparking concerns about potential crushes among people fleeing any danger.

Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, said the Home Office and vessel operators must “ensure all safety requirements are met”, and questioned whether the capacity should be reduced.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said it would use its enforcement powers if necessary and had “provided advice and comment in relation to fire safety arrangements”.

The Health and Safety Executive said it had issued separate advice over issues on the quayside surrounding the barge and that its concerns had been addressed.

Alison Thewliss, the Scottish National Party’s home affairs spokesperson, said: “It is utterly unacceptable that vulnerable individuals seeking refuge in our country are being housed in conditions that jeopardise their wellbeing and safety.

“I call upon this UK Tory government to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the situation at Portland Port.”

The government insists the barge will be cheaper than hotels, where around 50,000 asylum seekers are currently housed at a cost of £6m a day but has refused to estimate the cost of each place.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Bibby Stockholm has completed a statutory inspection and refurbishment and is now berthing in Portland.

“The welfare of those in our care is of the utmost priority and the barge is now undergoing final preparations to ensure it complies with all appropriate regulations before the arrival on the first asylum seekers in the coming weeks.”