Nine month maximum stay on Portland barge, says Home Office

Speaking at Portland Port today, Leanne Palk, Home Office Accommodation Centre Director confirmed that after nine months, any asylum seeker who is still unprocessed will be "rehoused" somewhere else in the country.

Leanne Palk from the Home Office spoke to the media outside the Bibby Stockholm barge at Portland Port (Image: PA)

She said: "The people on the barge will be staying here between three and nine months. If their claim is still unprocessed by the time they leave the barge they will be absorbed back into the asylum accommodation system and rehoused in an alternative location."

The Bibby Stockholm barge is due to be ready to begin housing asylum seekers from Monday July 24.

The first 50 asylum seekers will arrive at Portland soon.

Leanne Palk said: "I think it meets what we set out, we wanted to have basic functional accommodation and I think it gives that basic, functional accommodation and is safe.

"It is in good clean condition, although basic.

"I wouldn't have said it is a luxurious facility to start with, but it meets what we require in terms of adequacy."

The Home Office has consistently stated that housing refugees aboard the barge would cost less than the price of hotels, a claim which has been disputed after a report suggested the barge would in fact cost more.

Ms Palk would not confirm the price per night for each asylum seeker but did say it was "significantly less" than the price per night of hotels.

People staying on the barge will be able to come and go freely but they can only leave the port by bus; an hourly special service will run into Weymouth until 11pm (stopping at Victoria Square, Portland, Lidl at Osprey Quay and dropping off at the back of The Range in Commercial Road).

The asylum seekers will be given an induction pack which will give "advice" to the asylum seekers on how to "look after themselves in the community", it may also include cultural tips.

Ms Palk also said the Home Office had been working closely with Dorset Police to ensure the safety of the local community.

It was also confirmed that some multi-lingual staff would be present on the barge, as well as access to translation services and interpreters for asylum seekers.

Leanne Palk said: "There are examples of staff on the barge who are multi-lingual, there will also be access to translation services and interpreters and there will be an interpreter available for medical purposes."

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The vessel will provide appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute in a carefully managed way for the community. 

“The safety and security of the local community and those accommodated on the vessel is of the utmost importance. All asylum seekers are checked against policing and immigration databases, as well as having health checks before arriving on the vessel.

"We willcontinue to work closely with key local partners as the first group of asylum seekers arrive and are providing a substantial funding package to the Dorset Council, NHS Dorset and Dorset Police.”