Bibby Stockholm: Migrant barge bound for Dorset leaves Falmouth harbour

A ample accommodation barge that volition controversially location hundreds of asylum seekers has started its days-long travel to Dorset aft it was seen leaving its berth successful Cornwall.

Video from Falmouth harbour showed the Bibby Stockholm being moved retired to oversea by tug boats astatine astir 09:00 connected Monday.

The vas volition beryllium a impermanent location for up to 500 azygous big antheral asylum seekers nether Home Office plans to easiness the unit connected the asylum system.

But the plans person sparked protests.

Residents successful Portland connected the South seashore person objected, acrophobic that the section assemblage was not consulted and fearing the interaction connected section services.

Campaigners person worries astir the conditions that radical volition unrecorded under, portion others person argued utilizing the barge volition not prevention money.

At a gathering past week, Dorset councillor Laura Beddow said Portland Port was the incorrect spot to tract the barge and added the assembly had "serious concerns" but had been told ineligible enactment was improbable to succeed.

It is unclear erstwhile the Bibby Stockholm volition implicit its travel to Portland. Initial estimates enactment the question clip astatine 24-48 hours, but vessel tracking bundle suggests the vas towing the barge volition not scope Portland until Sunday.

The barge, which has 222 rooms successful total, is contracted to beryllium berthed astatine Portland for 18 months initially and was being made acceptable successful Falmouth successful Cornwall. Its usage volition beryllium the archetypal clip migrants person been housed successful a berthed vas successful the UK.

The authorities says it needs to trim the outgo of lodging asylum seekers. It says determination are presently astir 51,000 asylum seekers successful hotels crossed the UK, costing the payer astir £6m a day.

Bibby Stockholm was antecedently utilized to location stateless radical and asylum seekers successful Germany and the Netherlands. It has been refurbished since it was criticised arsenic an "oppressive environment" erstwhile the Dutch authorities utilized it.

The vas present has en-suite rooms, a TV and games country and a gym, according to a information expanse from its owners, Bibby Maritime.

Dorset Council person Spencer Flower said section authorities successful different areas of the state had successfully obtained impermanent injunctions against plans to accommodate asylum seekers based connected readying laws

But aft seeking proposal from a starring barrister Dorset Council was advised determination were not capable grounds for a ineligible challenge, helium said.

"The circumstances astatine Portland Port are precise antithetic due to the fact that wherever the barge is to beryllium positioned is beneath the mean debased h2o mark. This means that the barge is extracurricular of our readying power and determination is nary request for readying permission."