Tory immigration plans in chaos amid string of blunders as refugees board barge
The first refugees boarded a barge today as the Tories’ asylum policy descended into chaos.
As only 15 arrived, No10 had to admit having no idea how many would be on the vessel, branded a deathtrap. Lawyers intervened to stop more transfers. Plans for an asylum centre on Ascension Island were then revived and ditched within hours, while the number of refugees housed in hotels continued to rise. Labour’s Yvette Cooper accused Home Secretary Suella Braverman of “flailing about chasing headlines, rather than getting a grip”.
After weeks of delays, at 10.25am today a mini-bus with blacked-out windows drove into the port, carrying the first refugees to the Bibby Stockholm barge.But, in one of a string of blunders revealing the chaos at the heart of Tory policy, refugee charity Care4Calais said around 20 asylum seekers had their transfers to the vessel “cancelled” after their lawyers challenged the decisions. A government source reacted by alleging “Labour-linked charities and lawyers” were preventing the transfer of “illegal migrants” from pricey hotels.
The Home Office tonight admitted just 15 asylum seekers were on the barge. Hours before the men had arrived, hapless Home Office Minister Sarah Dines was claiming that up to 500 people could join the vessel by the end of this week. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Yes, quite possibly, it will be 500. We are hoping.”
People board the Bibby Stockholm barge on Monday morning (Getty Images)Just a few hours later, Downing Street admitted the figure would be nowhere near 500, as arrivals would be staggered over the coming weeks. The Government also announced it wanted to revive a plan to fly asylum seekers 4,000 miles to Ascension Island. Ms Dines confirmed the island in the South Atlantic was being lined up to house an asylum processing centre – even though it does not have adequate power and water facilities to accommodate large numbers of people. And the 34 sq mile territory does not have a hospital.
Woman who fled dangerous Iran watched 16 people drown in dinghy disaster
In yet another demonstration of the Government’s chaotic approach, No10 swiftly backtracked and announced the plan was no longer being considered. Ms Dines also tried to blame the failure to tackle illegal immigration on both the pandemic and the Tories’ coalition government with the Lib Dems, which ended in 2015.
The barge in Portland, Dorset (Jonathan Buckmaster)On LBC, she said: “Of course, we had the Coalition for some years and then we’ve had Covid, but, we’re really on to it now.” In a further embarrassment for Rishi Sunak ’s government, it was then revealed that the number of asylum seekers being accommodated in hotels has actually risen since December, when the Prime Minister promised to end their use. The total stands at 50,546 people, an increase of more than 10,000 in just six months.
Labour accused his Home Secretary Suella Braverman of seeking headlines instead of sorting the mess caused by 13 years of Conservative rule. The number of asylum seekers waiting for an initial decision on their case stood at a record 172,758 at the end of March.
And Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government’s failure to get a grip on the backlog was costing taxpayers billions. She said: “The Conservatives are just flailing around chasing headlines rather than getting a grip. Under the Tories, the chaos in the asylum system is getting worse and worse. Costs are spiralling out of control.”
She said Labour would end the “expensive” use of hotels to house asylum seekers. She said: “Labour has a plan to get a grip of the asylum system, including clearing the backlog and fast-track decisions and returns for safe countries.” The first mini-bus of asylum seekers that arrived at Portland, Dorset, was followed by a coach 45 minutes later.
Campaigners opposed to the use of the barge on humanitarian grounds held banners that read, “Refugees welcome, no to the prison barge”. Another sign stated “no to another Grenfell” after concerns about fire safety. The campaigners handed out welcome packs of toiletries and other useful items.
Care4Calais boss Steve Smith called the Bibby Stockholm a “quasi-floating prison” and “unbelievably cruel”. Steve Valdez-Symonds, of Amnesty International UK, said it was “an utterly shameful way to house people who have fled terror, conflict and persecution”.
A map showing the distance from the UK to Ascension Island (Press Association Images)Ex-Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel told the Daily Express migrant “campaign groups and lawyers” were “milking the legal aid system”. Paul O’Connor, of the PCS union for civil servants, said the revival of the Ascension Island plan showed ministers had “lost the plot”.
A poll tonight found just 9% of voters are confident the Government will reduce the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. The YouGov survey of 2,021 adults showed only 13% think Ms Braverman is doing a good job as Home Secretary.
Feels like going to jail again
An asylum-seeker jailed in Iran says being moved to the barge feels like he is being sent to prison again. The man, who cannot be named for security reasons, was a human rights lawyer in Iran. He was jailed for anti-government activities.
60 migrants including newborn dead after boat falls apart off coast of Italy
He managed to escape and claimed asylum on arrival in Britain several months ago, citing political persecution in his home country. The Home Office initially put him in a hotel on the south coast but then sent him a letter saying he would be moved to the controversial barge.
The man said: “While I’m living in the hotel I can go outside and have a walk in the fresh air. I also have support from the community. I was shocked when I received a letter about a week ago from the Home Office telling me I was being sent to the Bibby Stockholm barge. We have seen the news about this barge. It is a kind of jail.”
Steve Smith, of charity Care4Calais, said: “Housing any human on a ‘floating prison’ like the Bibby Stockholm is unacceptable. It is causing a huge amount of anxiety.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
