LONDON: The last remaining asylum seekers at the controversial Baby Stockholm floating residence in southern England have left, local authorities said on Wednesday.
“We can confirm that the last residents have left by barge,” Dorset Council told AFP, ending more than a year of political wrangling over the boat in Portland.
After the New Labor government came to power in July, it decided not to renew the contract with the ship, which expires in January 2025, citing additional costs to taxpayers.
Local charity Portland Global Friendship Group said the eight remaining asylum seekers had left the barge as they were “dispersed across the country” in Dorset under an agreement not to reside locally.
“The Portland Global Friendship Group continues to support some asylum seekers as they navigate the complex asylum process,” a spokesperson told AFP.
According to the spokesman, some “received positive decisions, and some had their applications rejected. Bibby Stockholm was championed by the former Conservative government of Rishi Sink as a cost-cutting measure aimed at asylum seekers. was to reduce the use of hotel accommodation for seekers of
However, it has come under fire over poor conditions on board, fears of Legionella bacteria and reports of one man dying in a suspected suicide.