Plans to hire barges from Far East to house Channel migrants scrapped due to travel time

MINISTERS have ditched plans to hire barges from the Far East to house Channel migrants — because it takes months to tow them to Britain.

Home Office officials are now looking at vessels docked in Europe — which would arrive here sooner.



BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Undated handout photo issued by Bibby Marine Ltd of the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge, a 222 bedroom, three-storey vessel, which can house up to 506 people, and could be the first to be used to house asylum seekers under Government plans aimed at reducing the reliance on hotels. Issue date: Wednesday April 5, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS MigrantsBarge. Photo credit should read: Bibby Marine Ltde/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Plans to hire barges from the Far East to house Channel migrants were ditched

It is understood brokers looked at two ships in Indonesia.

One, with potential to house more than 10,000, was until recently being “readied for overseas lease”.

A ship under construction that could house up to 3,000 people was also considered.

Sources at the Home Office said both approaches and other potential vessels were axed.

An accommodation barge has been secured to house about 500 single adult male asylum seekers at Portland, Dorset.

They will arrive within “a couple of months” according to insiders.

The Home Office said barges were better value for money than hotels.

A spokesperson said: “The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for money for taxpayers than hotels.

“This includes the potential use of vessels to provide accommodation.”


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