What’s Happened?
The 39 migrants assigned to stay on the contentious Bibby Stockholm barge off the coast of Devon, England have been relocated as a precaution following the discovery of legionella bacteria in the on-board water system. It is expected that they will be moved back to the barge in a week’s time. The BBC reports that a Home Office source claims “low levels” of legionella were found by a contractor on Monday.
The Bibby Stockholm
The Bibby Stockholm is part of a government policy intended to cut the cost of housing asylum seekers in the UK during the process of their applications. Prior to this, there had been a policy of housing asylum seekers in hotels. It is expected that the Bibby Stockholm will eventually house 500 asylum seekers as they undergo the asylum process.
