Six weeks after migrants returned to the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, locals are still divided over the effect it has had on the surrounding community, but most agree that the barge should not be there.
The vessel, docked in Portland, has a capacity of up to 500 men awaiting the outcome of asylum applications. It was evacuated in August after legionella bacteria was found in the water supply.
The return of migrants to the accommodation barge on October 19 has been met by sporadic protests from locals. Some oppose the barge out of concern for the detrimental effect they believe that migrants will have on the local area and the pressure they could put on already overburdened public services.
Others have campaigned against it out of concern for the welfare of the asylum seekers and the conditions on board the barge.
Tensions remain between the two groups. Just two weeks ago, competing protests took place against the barge in an echo of demonstrations in July, where the police had to step in to separate the rival organisations.
“I used to be able to go out and not be concerned, I now lock all my doors and windows,” Leslie Wilbur-Smith, 72,said. “I live on my own and I feel threatened.”
“They’ve already got their own doctors and dentists and we have to fight to get appointments,” she added. “We’ve got no bus access where I live, but they get free buses. It sounds cruel and awful but put your own community first.”
Since Portland port, where Bibby Stockholm is housed, is a working commercial port, none of the asylum seekers or any staff are able to freely walk on or off the barge. Instead, asylum seekers are provided hourly buses that take them from the barge into the surrounding towns.
Others also mentioned feeling fearful for their own safety. Emma Houston, 40, added: “I’ve got young children and my fear is my children, that they’re not safe … It’s just a bit terrifying knowing that they’re just on the bottom of the hill.”
However, some on the Isle of Portland said they had barely noticed the asylum seekers and that tensions in the community had started to die down as the barge had become an accepted feature of the area.
“As far as I’m concerned, they’ve been here a while now and I know it’s not full, but it’s not affecting us whatsoever. I haven’t even seen them on the buses or public transport,” said Tony Charleton, who at 66 was busy cycling people up and down the steep hills of Castletown in a pedal-powered rickshaw as part of his work for the charity Cycling Without Age.
“One day I may be helping these guys out, giving them a ride on this just to see the history of the island,” Charleton added.
Asylum seekers themselves were divided regarding the quality of accommodation aboard the Bibby Stockholm. Of the stated capacity of 500, they estimate up to 150 people are living on the barge.
Lufungula Kingozo, 40, originally from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrived in England a year ago. He had just taken part in a community-organised running club and said he had little to complain about, adding that the food was good and that the rooms were fine.
The running club organiser, who declined to be named, said: “There has been some resentment because this is an under-resourced island and this decision has been imposed on the residents. I feel the same way but now we’re trying to make the best of it and welcome these guys.”
However, two asylum seekers from Pakistan and Afghanistan said they disliked the high-security nature of the barge and described the accommodation as cramped and the food as poor.
The Pakistani, who declined to be named, said: “When we go inside the barge we have to remove everything. It looks like we are in jail.” He had been staying in a hotel in London before and added that the rooms on board were “very small” and that two migrants were housed in each room.
For security reasons, individuals and bags have to be searched when entering the barge. Migrants must also be escorted from the barge to the port gate — in a similar manner to the way cruise passengers who visit Portland are shepherded to and from their ship.
Among migrants in Calais, the prospect of being housed on a floating boat generated as much if not more fear than the chance of being deported to Rwanda — in part because many had endured difficult journeys crossing the Mediterranean by boat.
When I visited the camps two weeks ago to report on the Supreme Court’s decision to block the UK’s plan to send asylum seekers to the country, more migrants spontaneously mentioned Bibby Stockholm than did Rwanda.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: “Asylum seekers are not detained, and are free to come and go as they please — shuttle buses are available to transport individuals into local towns.
“The food provided on the barge meets NHS Eatwell standards and responds to all cultural and dietary requirements. Where concerns are raised about any aspect of the service delivered on the barge, we work with the provider to ensure these concerns are swiftly addressed.”
Since mid-October, the operators of Bibby Stockholm have recruited 20 local people to support residents onboard and are spending an estimated £1 million a year with local farmers and suppliers for food.
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According to Dorset council, about a quarter of barge residents were already taking up volunteering opportunities locally.
“I went to something at Weymouth Baptist Church last weekend where 25 Iranian men cooked amazing food for us and it was just beautiful,” said Anne Bailiff. “The men I met were professionals and it’s just very sad, their stories are all heartbreaking.”
As a member of the global friendship group, Bailiff, 66, is actively involved in supporting the migrants on board the barge by providing them with everything from toiletries to social events.
Ultimately, the relatively small number of people who have since been housed on the barge has meant that they’ve yet had little discernible impact on public services in the area. While many still resent the government’s decision to impose the barge on the small seaside town, most are simply resigned to making the best out of a bad situation.
“People always whinge about everything. In life I’ve learnt you’ve got to get on with it,” said Dennis Spurr, 70, who runs the Fantastic Sausage Factory in Weymouth.
“I think we’ve got to treat these people right. I don’t agree with everybody we let across but they’re here, the government has let it happen. So now let’s make the best of a bad job and be nice to the people.”
