The Home Office is to make a one-off payment of £377,000 to Dorset Council to provide “activities” and “English-speaking lessons” to asylum seekers due to be housed on a dedicated barge off the Dorset coast.
Up to 500 single male asylum seekers will be given accommodation on the Bibby Stockholm vessel in Portland, near Weymouth.
The barge, which has been undergoing a refit in Falmouth since May, is due to arrive in Dorset in the coming days.
The council says that following negotiations the Home Office has also agreed to provide £3,500 per occupied bed space.
Councillor Laura Beddow, Dorset Council portfolio holder for Culture and Communities, said: “Over recent weeks, Dorset Council has been negotiating with the Home Office to secure an appropriate funding package 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 bed space – will allow us to fulfil our duties.
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“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 decision to site the barge in Portland Port was made by the Home Office and facilitated through a commercial arrangement with the harbour.
“Dorset Council was not consulted and had no decision-making powers over this arrangement,” she said.
The council explored taking legal action against the plans for the barge but did not proceed, saying it was unlikely to be successful.
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£20,000 a day to operate
The barge is part of the government’s plan to reduce the £6m spent per day on housing asylum seekers.
It is reported the barge – which will provide basic healthcare, catering and 24/7 security – will cost around £20,000 per day to operate.
In a recent statement, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for the British taxpayer than expensive hotels.
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“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 said it would be liaising with the councils, as well as local NHS and police, to address community concerns and manage the impact of the vessel’s installation.
