Big barge to carry 500 male asylum seekers heading to UK

An enormous barge able to holding 500 asylum seekers is heading to the UK, it’s being reported.

The floating barge that’s deliberate to accommodate round 500 male asylum seekers is at the moment being towed from Genoa, Italy, and is predicted to reach in Falmouth, Cornwall, in keeping with Sky News.

The report says the vessel, named Bibby Stockholm, left Genoa Port on April 19 and is at the moment off the north coast of Spain.

It experiences that its closing vacation spot is Falmouth, in keeping with knowledge from ship monitoring web site MarineTraffic.

It says the barge shall be fitted out earlier than being moved to Portland Port, Dorset.

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The barge, which is able to provide lodging and catering services, shall be prepared to be used this summer season and is predicted to be operational for not less than 18 months.

Sky News’ Data and Forensics unit recognized the barge in Genoa Port in April and has tracked its journey in direction of the UK.

It was docked in Genoa for a number of months earlier than departing. It has no engine and is being towed by an Italian-flagged tugboat.

The Home Office instructed Sky News that the barge would “provide basic and functional accommodation, healthcare provision and catering facilities”.

It added that “24/7 security” would even be in place on board.

Home secretary Suella Braverman final month visited Rwanda, the place she was given a tour of potential migrant housing as a part of the Government’s bid to ship asylum seekers to the African nation.

However, the coverage faces numerous authorized and political challenges earlier than it may be carried out.