LONDON (Reuters) – Britain said on Tuesday it would once again house a group of asylum seekers on a barge on its southern coast, two months after removing them due to the presence of contaminated water on the vessel.
The detection in August of legionella bacteria in the water system of the Bibby Stockholm barge just days after dozens of asylum seekers had moved onto the vessel was an embarrassment for the government, which had pitched the policy as a way of cutting the costs of accommodating migrants.
Following safety tests, the government has now started sending letters to asylum seekers confirming they will be moved to the barge, an interior ministry spokesperson said.
“The letters confirm the next steps for asylum seekers and reiterate that all asylum accommodation continues to be offered on a no-choice basis,” the spokesperson added.
The government wants to cut the 8 million pounds ($9.8 million) per day bill of housing migrants in hotels while their asylum claims are being processed, but critics have called the barge, which can house up to 500 men, inhumane and compared it to a prison ship.
The vessel is one part of Britain’s high-profile strategy to stop illegal migration by people crossing the Channel on small boats from France. A separate plan to deport such migrants to Rwanda is being tested in Britain’s Supreme Court this week.
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(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Kate Holton)
