Government Minister says Asylum Seekers Should Be Sent Back to The Barge
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has said Asylum Seekers Should Be Sent Back To The Barge despite claims of a health risk.
Asylum Seekers onboard the Bibby Stockholm barge were taken off due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in its water system. However, Steve Barclay the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has said asylum seekers should now be sent back to the barge.
The decision to place asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge has sparked a heated debate amidst concerns over the discovery of Legionella bacteria in its water system. While Legionella can potentially cause a severe lung infection known as Legionnaires’ disease, the Home Office insists that none of the migrants on the barge have shown any symptoms of the illness.
The discovery of Legionella bacteria on the Bibby Stockholm barge prompted the evacuation of asylum seekers as a precautionary measure. However, it later emerged that individuals had spent four days on board the barge after the bacteria was discovered before they were removed.
This revelation sparked a blame game regarding what the government knew and when, as Dorset Council claimed to have notified Home Office contractors about the Legionella results four days prior to the evacuation.
However, a government source previously told Sky News there is no record of this conversation, and claimed the Home Office only received a written notification about the Legionella on Wednesday evening.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Barclay said ministers were informed about traces of the bacteria only on Thursday.
sked about claims the Home Office was informed about test results which discovered the bacteria on Tuesday, he said: “This is a standard thing the council had done. There is no reason to suggest there were concerns. As a precaution the tests were done.
“As soon as ministers were notified on Thursday night, there were some concerns with that, they took instant action.”
He added: “It may be the council notified the Home Office, that is an issue for those in the Home Office to respond to, obviously this is a Home Office lead.
“My understanding from colleagues in the Home Office is it was notified to Home Office ministers on Thursday, and they then took very quick action as a result.”
When asked if people should be put back on the Bibby Stockholm, Mr Barclay replied: “Yes, I do, because it’s costing around £6m a day in terms of the cost of hotels.
“It’s important that we both maintain safety standards, but also reflect the pressure on the taxpayer position in terms of that £6m.”
The health secretary made it clear that no migrants had shown signs of illness from Legionella.
“There have been no concerns in terms of anyone that has been on the barge and all those people are being subject to health assessments,” he said.
The Bibby Stockholm barge is part of the government’s strategy to mitigate the reliance on expensive hotel accommodations for asylum seekers, which reportedly costs the taxpayer £6 million per day.
The government believes that using alternative sites, such as the barge, will act as a deterrent to those attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats.
However, critics argue that the barge is not a viable long-term solution to the asylum seeker challenge. Former cabinet minister David Davis expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the barge, stating that it can only accommodate one day’s worth of arrivals. He called attention to the need for the Home Office to expedite the processing of asylum claims to address the ongoing issue.
Read:Skegness Owners Worried About Migrant Problem
The controversy surrounding the Bibby Stockholm barge and its implications have led to calls for Conservative ministers to resign. The evacuation of asylum seekers from the barge has shed light on what some perceive as the Home Office’s incompetence in handling the situation.
Questions have been raised about the timing of notifications regarding the presence of Legionella bacteria and the subsequent actions taken by the Home Office.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a record daily number of migrants crossing the Channel, with 755 individuals making the journey on a single day. This brings the total number of small boat crossings since 2018 to over 100,000. The government faced further scrutiny after a tragic incident where a small boat capsized, resulting in the deaths of at least six people.
The Government have been accused of not doing enough to tackle the migrant problem. Many are disgusted that more than £5million pounds a day is being spent housing them. Others are shocked that Rishi Sunak arranged a new deal with France to pay them more money to stop the migrants coming over while they sit, watch, and do nothing.
Seaside resorts such as Skegness has been hit hard by the migrant problem. Lots of hotels have been taken over to house them, which has caused a drop in holidaymakers visiting the popular Lincolnshire holiday resort.
