According to the British media, the transfer of 50 male migrants to the Bibby Stockholm ship has been hindered by the procedures of the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service. Concerns about narrow corridors, only two fire exits in the part of the ship docked at the port, insufficient life jackets, and overcrowding led to the cancellation of the migrants' arrival last week, and it has now been postponed for the second time this week.
However, the British media also indicated that there was still a possibility that the migrants could be brought in later this week.
In a report published today in The Times newspaper, it was mentioned that the fire service had not yet approved the fire safety report of the ship as of yesterday. Sources reached by the newspaper referred to the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which had resulted in the deaths of 72 people, and used the phrase "it could be a floating Grenfell" for the ship. However, the Home Office announced in a statement today that final preparations were ongoing in accordance with the regulations.
"We see it as a victory."
Meanwhile, the human rights organization Stand Up To Racism Dorset, which was preparing to show solidarity with the migrants to be transferred to the ship and provide material support, announced that they had postponed the welcome demonstration following the decision to postpone the arrivals. Lynne Hubbard, the Co-Chair of the group, stated to AA correspondent, "Due to the health and safety concerns we have emphasized, the migrants will not be brought to the ship tomorrow. We consider this a victory, and we are truly postponing our solidarity demonstration until the day they are actually brought in."
The Fire Brigades Union, a 105-year-old union of firefighters and rescue personnel in the UK, also made a statement on Twitter regarding the issue, saying, "Unlike the government, fire does not discriminate. Forcing refugees to stay in accommodations with improperly conducted fire risk assessments is a thoughtless step that jeopardizes the safety of both vulnerable refugees and firefighters."
The statement reminded the Home Office's claim that the ship option was chosen because it was cheap, and it stated, "This is a disgusting indication of the approach where saving money is the top priority and people's lives are treated as secondary." The statement also emphasized, "Everyone has the right to live in a safe place," and it supported all calls to abandon the plan of placing the migrants on the ship.
Placement of 500 individuals is planned.
The United Kingdom had decided to accommodate migrants in unused buildings at military facilities and floating structures built on barges to house approximately 50,000 irregular migrants in the country. Currently hosting migrants in hotels, the UK announced that it had decided to transport migrants due to high costs, and the Bibby Stockholm was brought up as the first ship to accommodate migrants for this purpose.
The Bibby Stockholm, which docked at Portland Port in the Dorset region on July 18, is planned to host a total of 500 male migrants. The goal is to move the migrants to the ship within 18 months and have them stay in two-person rooms.
The government had announced that the individuals housed on the ship would consist only of adult males aged between 18 and 65 who had entered the UK through illegal means. Stating that the migrants staying in hotels across the country cost the UK taxpayers about 6 million pounds per day, the government plans to relocate more than 2,000 refugees to unused buildings at two airbases in Lincolnshire and Essex.
However, migrant-friendly civil society organizations and human rights groups in the country argue that housing refugees on ships is "inhumane."
