Portland Port says it has not been approached about taking more barges for asylum seekers after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the government had purchased two more vessels.

Mr Sunak revealed that the government has secured two new barges to house an extra 1,000 people, adding to the 500 male migrants set to be placed in the Bibby Stockholm barge coming to Dorset.

The barge is expected to arrive at Portland Port within a fortnight.

The locations of the new barges are currently unconfirmed, but Portland Port has said they "do not have the capacity" for a second vessel at the Port.

A spokesman for Portland Port said: “The port has not been approached about taking more barges for asylum seekers.

“It has agreed to berth one vessel for the Home Office and does not have the capacity for more accommodation facilities of this kind."

The Guardian has reported the new barges could be heading for Teeside and Liverpool.

The newspaper further reported that there are discussions over the acquisition of further barges and disused cruise ships so they can house asylum seekers in Newcastle, Harwich, Felixstowe, and near City Airport, London.

Conservative MPs and refugee charities have raised questions about whether the vessels will provide humane living conditions for people escaping war, famine and torture.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax said he was angry about the “quasi-prison” barge coming to dock at Portland imminently.

“I’m against it,” he told LBC.

“This barge will be nothing more than a quasi-prison. Who will monitor them? What happens if they disappear?”

Opposition MPs have claimed that the plans are a calculated diversion from the government’s failure to reduce the backlog of asylum claims.

Speaking at Dover, the prime minister said he would wait to announce where the new barges would be located, saying there would be “extensive engagement” with local communities.

He said the Bibby Stockholm barge, which the government acquired in May, would arrive at Portland within the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council portfolio holder for culture and communities said that the council was working hard to prepare for the arrival of the UK's first asylum seeker barge at Portland in the coming weeks.

She said: "Dorset Council continues to work with other statutory agencies and partners including the Home Office, Dorset Police, Health, Weymouth and Portland Town Councils and Portland Port. The situation is complex, but we are jointly preparing for the arrival of the barge in Portland.  

“Dorset Police has been working with national colleagues to better understand the potential community impact of an asylum centre on Portland.

“Whilst the arrival of asylum seekers may increase the fear of crime, the experience of other areas has been that the presence of a well-managed facility should see very low levels of crime and antisocial behaviour and in some cases a reduction in the wider community due to the increased presence of support staff.    

“We understand that there are local concerns and uncertainty, and so as more decisions and local engagement plans evolve through the multi-agency forum, we will continue to keep our residents informed. 

“The Home Office factsheet has been updated and is available online. This is the best place for residents and stakeholders to read this information for answers to their questions."