Britain said on Wednesday it had leased a barge to house 500 migrants on its southern coast as part of efforts to reduce the use of costly hotels as temporary accommodation while asylum claims are being processed.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cracking down on illegal migration one of his top priorities ahead of an election expected next year and has set out plans toThe vessel, the Bibby Stockholm, will be berthed in Portland Port in Dorset and will accommodate 500 single adult males, Britain's interior ministry said.
"We have to use alternative accommodation options, as our European neighbours are doing – including the use of barges and ferries to save the British taxpayer money and to prevent the UK becoming a magnet for asylum shoppers in Europe," Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said. Government data shows 201 migrants were detected crossing the Channel on Tuesday. The total number who arrived in 2022 was more than 45,000.
The moves have been criticised by human rights groups for not providing adequate housing, while some lawmakers from Sunak's own governing Conservative Party are concerned about the impact on local communities.
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