The Home Office is to make a one-off cost of £377,000 to Dorset Council to supply “activities” and “English-speaking lessons” to asylum seekers as a consequence of be housed on a devoted barge off the Dorset coast.
Up to 500 single male asylum seekers will probably be given lodging on the Bibby Stockholm vessel in Portland, close to Weymouth.
The barge, which has been present process a refit in Falmouth since May, is because of arrive in Dorset within the coming days.
The council says that following negotiations the Home Office has additionally agreed to supply £3,500 per occupied mattress house.
Councillor Laura Beddow, Dorset Council portfolio holder for Culture and Communities, mentioned: “Over current weeks, Dorset Council has been negotiating with the Home Office to safe an applicable funding package deal for our work on the Portland barge scheme.
“It is essential that we can continue to meet residents’ needs while also providing new services for asylum seekers, without any additional pressure on local taxpayers.
“The funding that has been agreed – £3,500 per occupied mattress house – will enable us to fulfil our duties.
“In addition, a one-off payment of £377,000 will help provide asylum seekers with activities, volunteering opportunities and English-speaking lessons, which will be delivered through our superb local voluntary and community organisations.”
She added that the choice to website the barge in Portland Port was made by the Home Office and facilitated by means of a industrial association with the harbour.
“Dorset Council was not consulted and had no decision-making powers over this arrangement,” she mentioned.
The council explored taking authorized motion towards the plans for the barge however didn’t proceed, saying it was unlikely to achieve success.
Read extra:
Cost of sending every migrant to international locations resembling Rwanda is £169,000
Illegal Migration Bill suffers 20 defeats in House of Lords
£20,000 a day to function
The barge is a part of the federal government’s plan to cut back the £6m spent per day on housing asylum seekers.
It is reported the barge – which can present primary healthcare, catering and 24/7 safety – will price round £20,000 per day to function.
In a current assertion, a Home Office spokesperson mentioned: “The strain on the asylum system has continued to develop and requires us to have a look at a spread of lodging choices which provide higher worth for the British taxpayer than costly accommodations.
“This is why we will be using alternative accommodation options, such as barges, which are more manageable for communities, as our European neighbours are doing.”
The Home Office mentioned it might be liaising with the councils, in addition to native NHS and police, to deal with neighborhood issues and handle the affect of the vessel’s set up.
Source: information.sky.com”