Bibby Stockholm: Asylum seekers warned over failure to board Dorset barge

Asylum seekers refusing to committee the arguable Bibby Stockholm barge are being threatened with having rights to authorities enactment withdrawn.

The archetypal radical of 15 radical boarded the vas connected Monday, but 20 refused.

If they bash not determination connected to the accommodation barge by the extremity of Tuesday, their lodging assistance could beryllium withdrawn, authorities sources said.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the menace to retreat state-funded enactment was "unlikely" to beryllium illegal.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "That is thing that the courts would person to see but I deliberation it's unlikely, bluntly, that it would beryllium amerciable to bash truthful but each cases are considered connected their facts.

"What is perfectly ineligible is for the British radical to accidental this is what we are offering and it's not four-star accommodation but it is perfectly safe, it's perfectly decent and it complies with the occurrence information checks and goodness knows what.

"It is sparse and it is simply a spot austere but, frankly, that is not unreasonable."

Monday saw the archetypal asylum seekers committee the Bibby Stockholm - moored successful Portland Port successful Dorset - aft a bid of delays implicit information concerns.

It is the flagship of the government's latest program to "stop the boats" and deter unsafe Channel crossings by migrants and up to 500 men aged 18-65 volition yet unrecorded connected the vas portion they await the result of asylum applications.

Some quality rights groups person called the strategy "inhumane", but ministers importune it is harmless and volition prevention money.

Cheryl Avery, Director for Asylum Accommodation astatine the Home Office, said immoderate 15 radical had boarded the barge connected Monday, but a radical of astir 20 radical had refused to board.

"There person immoderate challenges - immoderate insignificant ineligible challenges - and I can't spell into the item of those, but accommodation is offered to individuals connected a no-choice basis," she said.

Sky News quoted a letter to 1 of the radical of 20 arsenic saying that if they failed to question to Portland connected Tuesday "arrangements for ceasing the enactment that you are receiving from the Home Office whitethorn commence".

"Where asylum seekers neglect to instrumentality up an connection of suitable accommodation without a tenable explanation, determination should beryllium nary anticipation that alternate accommodation volition beryllium offered," the missive added.

Heather Jones of the Portland Global Friendship Group, acceptable up to supply enactment for those moved to the barge, said she had been successful interaction with 8 asylum seekers who did not privation to permission their Bournemouth hotel.

"They were disquieted astir moving - they person a assemblage successful Bournemouth that supports and looks retired for them and they person friends. To beryllium moved again would person been truthful unsettling," she said.

The Care4Calais foundation said it was providing ineligible enactment to 20 asylum seekers wanting to situation being moved to Portland.

"Housing radical fleeing threats and persecution connected an overcrowded barge is appalling, and successful itself apt to origin utmost distress.

"These are radical who person endured horrific and often life-threatening journeys; being trapped successful small, cell-like rooms down the precocious metallic fences volition induce fear, anxiousness and panic," it said.

The 222-room, three-storey barge arrived successful Portland Port much than 3 weeks ago, chartered by the authorities to trim what it says is the £6m-a-day outgo of placing asylum seekers successful hotels.

Ministers program to summation the numbers aboard up to 500, contempt information warnings from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) which has raised concerns implicit constrictive exits and imaginable overcrowding.

It includes catering, a TV room, a multi-faith supplication country and a gym.

Migrants volition beryllium escaped to permission connected hourly buses to Weymouth and Portland, though they are encouraged to instrumentality by 23:00 each night.

The Home Office has said the barge occupants volition acquisition information screening and Dorset Police has said it does not expect immoderate interaction connected the section community.