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MigrationUnited Kingdom

UK evacuates migrant barge after Legionella bacteria found

August 11, 2023

The first asylum seekers to be held on the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge have been removed after the discovery. The government had already faced criticism over plans to hold up to 500 people on the vessel.

https://p.dw.com/p/4V45q
The Bibby Stockholm barge on the UK's southern coast
The government plan to increase the number of people living on the barge to lower costsImage: Ben Birchall/empics/picture alliance

The UK was forced to remove migrants from the barge where they were being held after Legionella bacteria was found in the water supply, the government said on Friday.

Some 39 people had been housed on the large Bibby Stockholm barge on the southern coast of the UK in a move that human rights campaigners had already called inhumane.

Ministers said the barge was basic accommodation that reduced costs in comparison to other land-based accommodation options which they characterized as a luxury.

The dangerous bacteria were found just days after the individuals were moved onto the vessel.

UK begins housing asylum-seekers on barge

Government plan exposes asylum seekers to risk of 'serious' illness

"Environmental samples from the water system on the Bibby Stockholm [barge] have shown levels of legionella bacteria which require further investigation," a spokesperson at the Home Office, or interior ministry, said.

"As a precautionary measure, all 39 asylum seekers who arrived on the vessel this week are being disembarked while further assessments are undertaken."

Legionella can cause Legionnaires' disease which the UK health service described as uncommon, but "very serious."

"No individuals on board have presented with symptoms of Legionnaires' [disease], and asylum seekers are being provided with appropriate advice and support," the Home Office said.

Downing Street's campaign against migrants

The government is planning to move even more asylum seekers onto the large grey, three-storey barge that can hold some 500 people in 200 bedrooms.

The plan to place people fleeing war and persecution in the cramped conditions of the Bibby Stockholm has drawn widespread criticism and has run into several delays.

It comes at the same time as the UK seeks to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, a plan that has also hit numerous roadblocks and sparked anger and derision.

The ruling Conservative Party, which has shifted to the right in recent years, is gearing up for a general election that is expected to take place next year.

It will be the first time Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces a popular vote after taking over from his predecessor Liz Truss. He has made cracking down on migration a priority of his time in office.

ab/rc (Reuters, AP)