Footage from the floating prison, where the self-proclaimed superior ones place the innocent
Recently, in the UK, a disturbing incident involving migrants took place. The Bibby Stockholm ship, whose project was previously announced, has now arrived in the UK.
- World
- Published Date: 04:15 | 24 July 2023
- Modified Date: 04:28 | 24 July 2023
The said ship will transport irregular migrants located in the UK. The vessel was designed to accommodate 500 asylum seekers.
Both pro-immigration and anti-immigration groups gathered at Portland Port, where the ship was docked.
New footage from inside the 3-storey, 90-meter-long ship has emerged, highlighting the small size of the rooms and the fact that most rooms were shared between two people.
The development has also led to divisions in the UK. Local politicians described the development as "cruel and unprecedented."
Mayor of Portland Carralyn Parkes also expressed her stance in an interview with the BBC, stating, "Both the Home Office and the Portland Port have made their position clear. Keeping asylum seekers in this manner is quite cruel and unusual. Moreover, our region does not have the infrastructure to meet the needs of so many people, especially in terms of healthcare."
Human rights organizations also expressed that they saw the practice as 'inhumane.' More than 50 organizations and campaigns seeking to protect the rights of migrants have sent an open letter to the company that owns the ship, which was put forward by the government to accommodate individuals seeking asylum.
In the letter, attention was drawn to the practices planned on the ship, such as detention, by referencing historical ties proven through transatlantic slave trade.
According to reports in the foreign media, the other two ships were unable to find a berth at the port, despite previous statements by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had informed about the situation and mentioned that there would be a total of three ships.
Indeed, in the past months, the UK announced the "Nationality and Borders Act" to prevent irregular migration. If the bill is approved, irregular migrants entering the country will be prevented from claiming asylum and will face deportation. If they are deemed safe, they will be sent back to their own countries; otherwise, they will be sent to third-world countries. Regarding this matter, the UK government had pointed to Rwanda.