Asylum seekers may end up in Dorset hotels once the Bibby Stockholm barge at Portland Port closes.

As previously reported, the Home Office announced last week that it will not renew the contract for the barge, which is being used to house asylum seekers at Portland Port while their claims are processed, when it ends in January. 

READ MORE: Bibby Stockholm barge to close in Dorset, Home Office says

The announcement raised questions over the future of the asylum seekers still living on the barge.

The asylum seekers will remain on the barge until January whilst their asylum claims are processed. If successful they are entitled to live wherever they want, which could include Dorset.

Dorset Council leader, Cllr Nick Ireland said: “I would like to think that, by January, the barge will be empty. I imagine they won’t be repopulating it until then.

“That is not to say that the Home Office couldn’t then hire a hotel to house asylum seekers, but like the barge, that would be out of our control.”

“The way it has worked so far is that the people who are on board the barge are at an advanced stage of their asylum claims being processed.

“The agreement with the Home Office and Portland Port is that they are removed from the barge before the final decision is made, I don’t know where they are moved to but it is not in Dorset.

“Dorset Council therefore has no responsibility to house them, as they are moved out of the county before the decision is made.

 

“People who are still awaiting decisions do not currently have a right to reside in the UK, those people are not Dorset Council’s responsibility, they are a matter for the Home Office.

“I don’t think there is any risk of Dorset Council having to house asylum seekers once their claims are successful and our housing list is big enough as it is.

The Labour party has announced plans to try to speed up the asylum system and new South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton said the plans are to resolve all the claims of the men on the barge before it is closed.

Mr Hatton said: "The reason why there are people on the barge is that no one had dealt with their cases.

"It is not about continuing to move people around, it is trying to deal with the backlog of cases.

"The cases of the individuals on the barge are now being processed with extreme urgency.

"In many cases, some of these people have been in the UK for two or three years and this is the second or third site they have been housed in.

"It is not about giving them a fourth, fifth or sixth place, we want the claims finished with."

A Home Office spokesperson added that clearing the backlog and reducing the number of people on the barge was the "priority".

The spokesperson said that if the barge still has occupants remaining, that some people may be relocated to hotels in Dorset.

Once the claims are processed, asylum seekers with successful claims will be able to live and work in the UK, whilst those with unsuccessful claims will be removed from the country "as soon as possible", according to the Home Office.

Mr Hatton added: "If their claims are successful, it will be up to them where they choose to live, but they should be in work or training and able to contribute to society.

"If they are unsuccessful then returns arrangements will be looked at."

The Echo asked if asylum seekers would still be moved to the barge between now and January, but did not receive an answer from the Home Office.