Cabinet Minister Grant Sharp has denounced criticisms surrounding the Biby Stockholm house-vessel, that is meant to temporary house asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.
According to the Sharp, the contentious houseboat is not a “death trap,” and there is no justification why the vessel “wouldn’t be absolutely safe.”
According to the minister, this would significantly reduce the £6 million daily expenditure on lodging asylum seekers in hotels while their applications are being facilitated.
“It certainly won’t be a death trap. This actual ship was previously used by Germany to house migrants, there’s no reason why it wouldn’t be absolutely safe. Ships are used to transport people all the time and there’s no inherent reason why that would be the case. That’s actually why these final safety checks are being carried out.”
Grant Sharp, Cabinet Minister.
The vessel is a crucial component of the government’s plan to dissuade migrants from sailing tiny boats to British beaches, Sharp claimed. It remains doubtful that asylum seekers will board the ferry before next week.
Also defending the use of the vessel to house migrants, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denied criticisms alluding to the fact that, Biby Stockholm is in “shambles.”
“This is an example of me doing something different that hasn’t been tried before to help solve a serious problem.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Transportation Minister Richard Holden has said that, he has no fair idea on when asylum seekers and migrants would be transferred to the vessel.
Grant Sharp’s remarks follows numerous concerns raised by the opposition and firefighters with regards to the Biby Stockholm vessels.
However, the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) has made known that, it would be penning down a letter to the administration that, its servicemen have expressed grave concerns over the vessel’s strength to host crowds and the accessibility to fire exits in times of emergencies.
Ben Selby, the FBU’s assistant general secretary stated that, “as the only professional voice, firefighters believe the Bibby Stockholm to be a potential death trap.”
Moreover, the Health and Safety Executives failure to present their assessments over the working conditions for port workers, have been blamed for the recent delay in transporting migrants and asylum seekers to the vessel.
The Home Office has rebut claims that, fire safe concerns are the cause of delay in its plans.
“Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites and vessels will provide cheaper and more orderly, suitable accommodation for those arriving in small boats. The Bibby Stockholm is now undergoing final preparations to ensure it complies with all appropriate regulations before the arrival of the first asylum seekers in the coming weeks.”
Home Office Spokesman.
Making the asylum process “harder” does not stop people from desiring to relocate here, Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, expounded.
“The reason the government is having to use this barge and it is absolutely the wrong plan in the wrong place is because it has grossly mismanaged the asylum system. There is a backlog of 150,000 cases and if there wasn’t that backlog the government wouldn’t have to use ships.”
Enver Solomon, Chief Executive of Refugee Council.
Other organizations have admonished the government to abandon the Biby Stockholm project completely, because numerous migrants and asylum seekers, are currently lodging in hotel facilities in Bournemouth.
According to the former Director General of UK Border Force, Tony Smith, the greater issue is the lack of returns.
“We are not really returning very many people at all so they know that, if they run into a smuggler on the beaches in France they know, they are going to be told ‘give us 5,000 euros’ and you know once you are across, Bob’s your uncle you are home and dry. So really we do need to get removals going.”
Tony Smith, Former Director General of UK Border Force.
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