The immigrant barge - what’s actually wrong with using it?

[NC523]

Educate me!

I looked at pics from the inside, it all looks very much like standard student accommodation to me, including common rooms/relaxation areas/health support on board. Residents can go on & off the boat, it’s passed fire etc safety and been used to house people in lots of other situations. I don’t understand why people think it’s not ok. Can anyone explain please?

used to house people in lots of other situations

I thought this, and that it looked okish until you remember the people in other situations spent most of their time outside the barge working.

Given the lack of space in communal areas (TV room for 12, classroom for 20 etc for 500 people) then you start to understand that because those migrants aren't allowed to work they will actually be expected to spend the vast majority of their time in those tiny bedrooms, with, as a pp pointed out, only enough place for one person to sit down.

"Why should they expect 5 star hotels?"

Pretty sure they don't!

@BIWI Read posts first before commenting.

What 4 star hotels are they?

The government doesnt pay enough to secure 4 star hotels

On the one hand you have immigration lawyers making spurious claims that the boat is inadequate because the rooms are not like suites on a Cunard cruise liner, and on the other hand the local residents saying the boat is inadequate because they’d rather not have 500 strangers (whose background no one knows anything about) being dumped on their doorstep.

The only way the migrant crisis will be solved is when they start to be housed in the expensive areas that MPs live in. But that will never happen.

They have been packed in on boats etc getting here, so I'm sure they'll be grateful for any accomodation

Aside from the Goverment clearing the backlog, what is the solution for the large amount of people (young men?) that are waiting to have their claims heard? Where should they be housed whilst they wait, and what are the cost implications? Also, what is plan for if / when they are given asylum status? Do they get given a council house, and what about the people that are already waiting for one?

The whole thing feels like a mess and there's more than just the one issue here. I can see why it's very emotive on lots of fronts.

The rooms on board the ship are about the size of an average parking space, and will be shared between two people. That's not normal.

When the ship was used elsewhere, people have died on board- the way it was used in other countries were that the people housed on board were not allowed off after curfew, and were reliant on staff to get them medical attention in an emergency. Due to this, a refugee sadly died whilst on board.

The issue is also that it isolates asylum seekers from the local, this means they struggle to access services, including legal services, and makes it harder for them to integrate.

To be honest, a lot has been written about why it's a bad thing- a five minute google would get you a detailed explanation from people who've spent time looking into it.

It's not mostly 4 star hotels. A lot of them are the legendarily crappy Britannia hotels. Rooms at these used to be available for about £40/night. The Govt has negotiated a contract under which they pay £137/night. But it's no doubt making some Tory supporting business people very happy, so that's OK then.

I'd be happier if it had the approval of the local fire service, and the barge came with its own dedicated medical staff and immigration/legal staff to expedite claims, and get them resolved.

Its an interesting concept as to what countries we consider safe though isnt it?

A person is an economic migrant if other countries decide its a safe country they come from.

But politics determines whether a country is safe. One minute the regime is seen as a terrorist organisation and we dont work with them. Unsafe, therefore people can legitimately claim asylum

The next minute, for political expediency, the regime are our allies, we recognise the regime as legitimate government. Safe, therefore people cannot legitimately claim asylum and are considered economic migrants

Oh, the old 4/5 star hotel thing! The reason it's so expensive is not the luxurious accommodation these poor people are offered, it's the complete inability of the government to process claims in anything approaching a timely manner.

@bellac11 Great Hallingbury Manor in Essex for one. Google it.

And if they process claims quicker, where will they be housed?? If there is no housing and they are being kept in hotels and barges, then where exactly will all this housing spring from?

Worth bearing in mind the Bibby Stockholm was rejected as a solution for housing students in (I believe) Galway, as well.

And during the refit it underwent in Falmouth, part of that was to enable it to house more people than previously. Some of the staff at A and P involved in the refit asked not to work on it, as they felt the conditions would be inhumane- and they're the ones who have actually been on board.

It's very easy to make things look bigger/more comfortable than they are in pictures.

Once they have been processed they can be moved on, either deported if not given refugee status, or allowed to work and earn money if they get refugee status, and many are highly qualified and even if they are not, there is a need for less skilled workers in our economy too.

Lots are economist, medics, scientist, etc, and can qualify to fill gaps in staffing in schools - probably over qualified, but no less welcome. I teach in London, and in some areas, the only way any students are getting a maths education is through refugees who have become teachers. Without them many london children would be sitting in maths lessons supervised by the caretaker while they read text books on their own

If it gets scrapped as a immigration barge, maybe they can offer it to Dorset street homeless people. I'm sure some would prefer it to under bridges and car parks, particularly over winter. 🤔

When the claims are processed, they will be able to work, and so access private rented housing or council housing etc, like everyone else.

The reason they have to be housed before claims etc, is that they have no right to work or rent in the UK.

I think if they weren't bunk bed rooms for two it would be fine. It should be one person per room, a few of those rooms sleep up to six and that's awful.

I think the law needs to be changed so that refugees can work or volunteer. Most want to work and don't want to live on the pittance they get given.

They also are not entitled to council housing more than any other person if their claim is successful.

If you had ever been in the navy, you would consider it spacious!

Weren't you one of the ones griping about a medical appointment or operation getting cancelled due to lack of staff?

Where are these 'dedicated medical staff' coming from?

When the claims are processed, they will be able to work, and so access private rented housing or council housing etc, like everyone else.

I think that one of the issues that we have is that there is not necessarily enough housing - particularly council housing - for people already.

yes, half the number is residents in each room, and half the number of rooms to make space for medical treatment, legal consultations, recreational space, educational opportunities, etc, at that point it would start to look on the acceptable side of humane

of course, it would then only house about 120 asylum seekers, and we would need another 400 such barges to dent the issue - and obviously we don't have the staff to do it anyway.

When peoples claims have been processed if they are successful will be able to work and as such be able to afford to live.

when they are being kept in limbo that can’t happen. So rather than processing things and letting those who can contribute to society do so we are spending a fortune because proper process isn’t in place.

By your reasoning, the UK would never have to accept any asylum seekers as we are basically at the end of the line if asylum seekers travel west.
No asylum seeker is bound to stay in the first safe country they reach.
We have duties to accept asylum seekers as signatories to International Conventions.
Those seeking asylum here often have some link to the UK.
More than 75% of those seeking asylum here are found to have valid claims.