Home Office confirms plan to house asylum seekers in giant barge in Dorset The plan has proved controversial after the local MP and council raised concerns the area is inappropriate for hundreds of asylum seekers to be placed. But the government has said it needs to move them out of expensive hotels.

(Sky News) A giant vessel docked off the Dorset coast will be used to hold hundreds of asylum seekers, the Home Office has confirmed, despite legal threats from local Tories.

The barge, called the Bibby Stockholm, will be berthed in Portland Port for at least 18 months and will accommodate about 500 single adult males while their claims are processed.

The Home Office said the accommodation will be “basic” with healthcare provision, catering facilities and 24/7 security.

It did not say how much the lease agreement cost but insisted it is “significantly cheaper than hotels.”

The plan is facing resistance from Tory-run Dorset Council and local Conservative MP Richard Drax, who are considering legal action.

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