Plan for giant cruise ship to house 500 asylum seekers near Liverpool is scrapped – after London port authorities also said no to the scheme
- Suella Braverman wanted to send 500 asylum seekers to stay on MV Victoria
- Port authorities in Birkenhead blocked the government’s controversial proposal
A government plan to house asylum seekers on board a cruise ship in Liverpool has been scrapped after port officials refused permission for the controversial scheme to proceed.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman wanted to put 500 men aboard the vessel while a decision about their future was determined.
But, according to Sky News, the Birkenhead plan has been abandoned after Peel Ports objected to the proposal.
Under the plan, the MS Victoria, which is currently moored in Scotland would be chartered and brought to Birkenhead where it would be used to house 500 male asylum seekers. But local port officials objected to the proposal.
The Government is desperate to move asylum seekers away from hotels and believe that by placing them on barges or cruise ships will make Britain a less-desirable location for seeking shelter.
This latest setback comes shortly after the Royal Docks in London informed the Home Office that it could not moor a barge beside London City Airport.
The government has been blocked from mooring a cruise ship in Birkenhead, Liverpool to house 500 asylum seekers while a decision was made about their future
But Peel Ports who control Birkenhead said it would not allow the vessel to dock for housing asylum seekers. A refusal was made by the Royal Docks in London, while opposition has been expressed in several other locations that are being considered by the Home Office
Labour Mayor of London Mr Khan had set out his objections publicly to the suggestion a location in the capital could be chosen for such a vessel.
He has since written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman to express his support for the Royal Docks’ decision to deny permission for a barge.
CLICK TO READ MORE: London floating asylum centre blocked by port authority
‘I am writing to you following the recent decision by the Royal Docks Management Authority to reject the use of King George V Dock as a berth to accommodate people seeking asylum.
‘I wish first to put on record my support for this decision and secondly to outline my absolute opposition to the Government’s policy of housing asylum seekers on vessels.’
Scott Derben, managing director of London’s Royal Docks, said: ‘London’s Royal Docks were approached by the Home Office to look at the feasibility of berthing a cruise ship to house asylum seekers.
‘After investigation, it was concluded that this would not be an appropriate use for the Royal Docks.
”The Home Office were informed of this decision in May.;
Mr Khan said the UK’s capital had a ‘proud history of providing sanctuary for those seeking refuge’ as he set out his ‘deep concerns’ about the Conservative Government policy of housing asylum seekers on barges.
He told Mrs Braverman there was ‘no evidence’ that barge accommodation would act as a deterrent to those seeking to come to Britain and argued it would ‘leave large numbers of people in wholly unsuitable conditions’.
The former MP also said the boats would be ‘highly visible’ and that those being housed in them could be at ‘significant risk’ from targeting by far-right protests.
‘I would urge you in the strongest possible terms to abandon the Government’s plans to accommodate those seeking asylum in vessels,’ he added.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman, pictured, wants to house asylum seekers on barges across the country, but is facing opposition from local Tory backbenchers
Rishi Sunak insisted that his pledge to ‘stop the boats’ was ‘starting to work’, as he revealed two more giant vessels will be used for migrant accommodation.
The Prime Minister declined to say where the two new barges would be moored, but there has been speculation that the vessels could be moored near Liverpool and Middlesbrough.
A Home Office spokeswoman, asked about Royal Docks’ stance, 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.
‘This is why we continue to source new alternative sites and vessels to accommodate migrants, which are more manageable for communities, as our European neighbours are doing.
‘We understand the concerns of local communities and will work closely with councils and key partners to manage the impact of using these sites, including liaising with local police to make sure appropriate arrangements are in place.’
It comes as Labour accused ministers of ‘quietly ditching’ the two-tier refugee system, which was introduced under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, pictured, insists that his plan to stop small boats is working
In a written ministerial statement to MPs, immigration minister Robert Jenrick confirmed that the differentiation policy would be paused from July.
‘This means we will stop taking grouping decisions under the differentiated asylum system after these rules changes and those individuals who are successful in their asylum application, including those who are granted humanitarian protection, will receive the same conditions.
‘Our ability to remove failed asylum applicants remains unchanged,’ he said.
CLICK TO READ MORE: Government plans to house asylum seekers on luxury cruise ships
The MS Victoria boasts luxury cabins – although it is not clear whether changes have been made for its current purpose
Mr Jenrick said that the policy, which created two separate approaches to refugees depending on their route to the UK, had been the ‘right approach’ when it came into force last June.
‘Since then, the scale of the challenge facing the UK, like other countries, has grown,’ he said.
He added that the Illegal Migration Bill now ‘represents a considerably stronger means of tackling the same issue that the differentiation policy sought to address’.
The Government’s Illegal Migration Bill is currently in the Lords, where it has faced strong criticism and close scrutiny from peers.
But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said that Labour had warned that the policy would only make ‘the bureaucracy and chaos worse’.
‘Even worse, they have slipped out the announcement in a written statement to avoid publicity or scrutiny by Parliament or the press.
‘This is a damning indictment of the Conservatives’ flagship immigration Bill, and of their entire record on small boats, and shows ministers have no idea what they are doing to fix the Tory small boats chaos.
‘Labour will fix the asylum system that has been broken under 13 years of the Tories.’
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the move was the ‘right decision’.
He said: ‘The Government is now admitting that its flagship Nationality and Borders Act has failed to deliver.
‘As was predicted by us and other refugee organisations, it hasn’t deterred desperate men, women and children from taking dangerous journeys but has simply led to unnecessary misery for many refugees, leaving them stuck in limbo unable to move on with their lives.’
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