Barge for 500 migrants towed to Falmouth for refit

A barge due to house 500 male migrants will be towed into a Cornish port later.

The Bibby Stockholm, from Italy, is due to dock in Falmouth at about 08:00 BST, ahead of an inspection and refit work.

The government plans to move the three-storey barge to Portland to house the migrants, off the Dorset coast.

Charities and politicians have criticised the plan but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it would save taxpayer money and reduce pressure on hotels.

The barge will eventually be based at Portland Port, off the coastal town of Weymouth, and used to house single men while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed.

It will operate for at least 18 months, the Home Office said.

The plans have been criticised by local groups, refugee charities and Conservative MP Richard Drax, who said "every action" was being looked at", including a legal case.

There have also been concerns over pressure on health services.

The Home Office has said the vessel would be "significantly cheaper" than hotels.

Refugee groups have called the plan "completely inadequate", while councillors from the local area - which is popular with tourists - have opposed the proposals.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick have both been instrumental in the plans.

Mr Sunak previously said the barge was "part of our broader plan to stop the boats".

Nearly 4,000 people have arrived on the south coast so far this year after crossing the Channel in small boats.

The use of the Bibby Stockholm will mark the first time migrants have been housed in a berthed vessel in the UK.

Dorset Council said it had "serious reservations" about the suitability of Portland Port as a location, adding: "We remain opposed to the proposals."

On Tuesday, the Home Office said the Bibby Stockholm would undergo inspection, refurbishment and maintenance in Falmouth but would not be used to house asylum seekers there.

The BBC has asked the Home Office how long the barge will remain in Falmouth.

In a statement, Mr Jenrick said the use of expensive hotels to house an "unprecedented number" of asylum seekers crossing the Channel had to end.

He said there were more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the taxpayer £6m a day.

"This is why we will be using alternative accommodation options which are more manageable for communities, as our European neighbours are doing - including the use of barges to save the British taxpayer money," he added.

"We are continuing to work closely with the councils and key partners to manage any impact in Falmouth and Portland and that appropriate arrangements are in place."

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