“It’s like walking into Alcatraz”: First residents describe floating boat that will house 500 UK asylum seekers

The first group of men to board the Bibby Stockholm – the huge vessel that acts as a floating shelter for asylum seekers in the UK – have shared their experiences in the first 24 hours.

The place is like a prison, with not enough room to move around 500 people on board that the government intends, one of them told the BBC.

This vessel, moored in Portland Harbour, in Dorset, England, is the first vessel to be contracted by the government as part of a policy that aims to reduce hosting costs intended for asylum seekers.

The UK Home Office says the ship is a better option for taxpayers as the arrival of small boats continues to increase pressure on the asylum system.

On Monday they boarded Bibby Stockholm the first 15 asylum seekersafter a series of delays for security reasons.

This ship will receive men between the ages of 18 and 65 who are waiting for their asylum application to be processed.

Similar to “Alcatraz Prison”

An Afghan asylum seeker, whom the BBC prefers not to identify, said: “The rattling of the locks and the security checks make me feel like I’m in alcatraz prison”.

“My roommate had a panic attack in the middle of the night and felt like he was suffocating. There are those of us that the doctor has given strong here depression medicines”.

The Afghan asylum seeker told the BBC that he was given a small room and that the dining room has space less than 150 people.

“Like a prison, [la barcaza] it has entrance and exit doors, and within a certain number of hours we have to catch a bus that, after a long journey, leaves us in a place where we can walk. we feel very badthe man explained.

On board the Bibby Stockholm there is security 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Receiving asylum seekers ID cards and they have to go security scanners similar to those in airports for getting in and out.

For security reasons, asylum seekers must take a connecting bus to the port exit. There is no curfew, but if they don’t return an “alert call” will follow.

How is the ship inside

Before the first residents arrived, a group of journalists were able to get a tour of the Bibby Stockholm.

Inside, the ferry looks like ‘an old motel’.

Long corridors lead to relatively spacious cabins with, among other things, a desk, wardrobe, safe, television and large windows.

Each room has a bathroom with shower and there are additional services on each of the three floors.

Originally the ferry 222 cabinswhich will accommodate 506 occupants.

This was only possible because bunk beds were placed in every room.

There is a TV room with screen and sofas, an ecumenical prayer room and a study room that can be used for meetings and activities.

Other common areas have been converted into additional dormitories for four or six people, but journalists were not allowed to enter.

The dining room is large, with a long counter for food and tables with six seats arranged in rows.

On the day of the press visit, eggs and pancakes were on the menu for breakfast, potato soup and beef stew for dinner.

According to authorities, the menu will change regularly and cater to individual needs and religious requirements.

Healthcare and legal aid

The UK Home Office said it will promote the welfare of asylum seekers by providing them with basic health care and recreational activities.

On Monday, the first group of men to climb Bibby Stockholm arrived. The charity Care4Calais allegedly provides legal aid to another 20 asylum seekers who refused to move to Portland and challenged the decision.

Finance Minister Andrew Griffiths on Tuesday said the transfer to the ship “it’s not a choice” and that if people decide not to comply “they will be left out of the asylum assistance system” and not entitled to alternative housing.

“Many of us came to Britain by plane nine or eleven months ago. Some of us apply for asylum at the airport. We didn’t come by boat,” said the Afghan asylum seeker.

“Two weeks ago we received a letter threatening that if we didn’t agree to go they would cut off our help and access to the NHS. There are people among us who are on medication. We accept”.

Another man who boarded on Monday told the BBC he arrived in Britain on a plane, has a wife who is still in Iran and has been in Britain for six months.

The man – whom the BBC does not identify for privacy reasons – said he had a “good” breakfast of “eggs, cheese, jam and butter”.

What the government claims

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government says it is overspending $7 million a day to accommodate more than 50,000 immigrants in hotels.

“This is another step in the government’s work to present alternative accommodation options as part of the pledge to reduce the use of expensive hotels and move to a more orderly and sustainable system,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior.

“This is a tried and tested approach similar to that taken by our European neighbours, by the Scottish Government, and one that offers greater value to the UK taxpayer,” he added.

The aim of the government is to house the few 3,000 asylum seekers in places other than hotels in the coming months, such as the barges and old military buildings at Wethersfield, in Essex, and Scampton, in Lincolnshire.

As for Portland residents, the UK government’s initiative is generating rejection due to concerns about the welfare of asylum seekers and its potential impact on local services.

But some local residents are determined to welcome them and have formed a local support group.

Receive the first arrivals kits donated by local residentsincluding toiletries, a map of the area, notebooks, pens and the volunteer group phone number.