Asylum seekers describe first 24 hours on new barge

Some of the archetypal radical of men to committee the Bibby Stockholm person described their archetypal 24 hours connected the barge.

One asylum seeker told the BBC it was similar a situation and felt determination wasn't capable country to accommodate up to 500 radical onboard, arsenic the authorities plans.

The Home Office says the barge volition supply amended worth for the payer arsenic unit connected the asylum strategy from tiny boats arrivals continues to grow.

Moored successful Portland Port, Dorset, it is the archetypal barge secured nether the government's plans to trim the outgo of asylum accommodation.

Monday saw the archetypal 15 asylum seekers committee the Bibby Stockholm aft a bid of delays implicit information concerns. It volition location men aged 18 to 65 portion they await the result of their asylum applications.

An Afghan asylum seeker, whom the BBC is not identifying, said: "The dependable of locks and information checks gives maine the feeling of entering Alcatraz prison.

"My roommate panicked successful the mediate of the nighttime and felt similar helium was drowning. There are radical among america who person been fixed dense drugs for slump by the doc here."

He said helium had been fixed a tiny room, and the eating hallway had capableness for less than 150 people.

"Like a prison, it [the barge] has entranceway and exit gates, and astatine immoderate circumstantial hours, we person to instrumentality a bus, and aft driving a agelong distance, we spell to a spot wherever we tin walk. We consciousness precise bad," the antheral added.

There is 24/7 information successful spot connected committee the Bibby Stockholm and asylum seekers are issued with ID swipe cards and person to walk done airport-style information scans to get connected and off.

Asylum seekers are expected to instrumentality a shuttle autobus to the larboard exit for information reasons. There is nary curfew, but if they aren't backmost determination volition beryllium a "welfare call".

The Home Office has said it would enactment their payment by providing basal healthcare, organised activities and recreation.

The archetypal radical of men arrived connected Monday. The Care4Calais foundation said it was providing ineligible enactment to a further 20 asylum seekers who refused to determination to Portland and are challenging the decision.

On Tuesday, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffiths, said that moving to the barge was "not a choice" and if radical take not to comply "they volition beryllium taken extracurricular of the asylum enactment system".

"Many of america entered Britain 9 to 11 months ago, by airplane. Some of america applied for asylum astatine the airport. We did not travel by boat," the Afghan antheral said.

"It has been 2 weeks since we received a missive successful which they threatened that if we bash not hold to go, our assistance and NHS volition beryllium chopped off.

"There are radical among america who instrumentality medicine. We accepted. We waited for 2 weeks and didn't adjacent person clip to bring cleanable clothes."

Another antheral who boarded the vas connected Monday told the BBC helium had arrived successful the UK connected an aircraft, had a woman inactive successful Iran and had been successful Britain for six months.

The antheral - whom the BBC is not identifying - said helium had eaten a "good" meal which included "eggs, cheese, jam and butter".

The authorities says it is spending £6m per time lodging much than 50,000 migrants successful hotels.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "This marks a further measurement guardant successful the government's enactment to bring guardant alternate accommodation options arsenic portion of its pledge to trim the usage of costly hotels and determination to a much orderly, sustainable strategy which is much manageable for section communities."

"This is simply a tried-and-tested attack that mirrors that taken by our European neighbours, the Scottish authorities and offers amended worth for the British taxpayer," they added.

The Home Office says that by the autumn, they purpose to location astir 3,000 asylum seekers successful places that aren't hotels - specified arsenic the barge, and erstwhile subject sites Wethersfield, successful Essex, and Scampton, successful Lincolnshire.

Additional reporting by Marita Moloney