Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the town of Burj Qalawieh, south Lebanon.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The first ship of the Maghreb fleet delivering aid to break the siege on Gaza departs from the port of Gammarth in Tunisia.
Channel 12: Airspace closed at Ramon Airport due to fears of drone infiltration
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded over an aircraft infiltration in the Bir Ora area, and details are being examined
Drone infiltration sirens sound north of the Gulf of Aqaba
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out five extremely violent raids on the western areas of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out major bombings in the Gaza Strip, the most violent since October 7
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: The missile force carried out a major operation using the Palestine 2 ballistic hypersonic missile, hitting several targets in occupied Yafa.
Sirens sound in large areas of occupied Palestine after a missile launch from Yemen was detected
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 14 martyrs arrive at al-Shifa Hospital following Israeli massacre of al-Sultan Family north of Gaza.

Labour confirms planned use of barges to house asylum seekers

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 6 Aug 2023 17:57
4 Min Read

According to an MP of Keir Starmer, the controversial barges will be used to "Deal with mess" the parliament inherited from the Tories.

  • x
  • Labour would use barges to temporarily house asylum seekers: MP
    A barge called the Bibby Stockholm in South England on July 18, 2023, intended to house 5000 asylum seekers. (AP)

If Labour sees an election victory, problematic barges and military installations will still be used to temporarily keep asylum seekers, according to a member of Keir Starmer's frontbench.

Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, expressed he was "deeply unhappy" at the proposal since it was the last thing the party intended, explaining that Labour will have "no choice but to deal with the mess we inherit."

Speaking to Sky News Sunday, Kinnock expressed that “Over the last 13 years, the Tory government has destroyed our asylum system. We’ll inherit a mess if we are privileged to win the next election.”

When forced to respond about the barges, he stated, “The reality is, on day one we will have to deal with the mess we have and the shambolic mess they have left us. We’ll be left with no choice but to deal with the mess we inherit.”

He explained to BBC Breakfast that a Labour administration would be able to clear the backlog in six months.

Read more: UK government 'complicit' in asylum seeker hotel assaults: Unions

The shadow minister declined to specify a timetable for when a Labour administration would stop utilizing the barges and reduce the backlog, which had reached a record level of over 172,000 cases.

Kinnock's remarks came as the deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said checks on a contentious barge built to accommodate asylum seekers, the Bibby Stockholm, was still underway, with the first group expected to be lodged there within "weeks."

Howls of outrage

The barge, in Portland, Dorset, would be ready for use soon, as the government was only checking fire safety issues.

Related News

UK government 'complicit' in asylum seeker hotel assaults: Unions

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Dowden told people to stop “howls of outrage” against the barge.

The current administration plans to implement a slew of immigration regulations this week in an effort to demonstrate to the prime minister that he is making progress on one of his five core goals, "stopping the boats."

Kinnock additionally accused the Conservatives of "cooking the books" to pretend they were getting a handle on the spiraling asylum backlog.

Read next: Welcome images at UK asylum center for children deemed 'too welcoming'

“They have been artificially withdrawing claims if someone misses an appointment. It doesn’t mean they’ve been processed, it just puts people into limbo. Then essentially, people are just slipping into the underground economy,” Kinnock voiced.

According to the Independent, over 6,000 people have been removed from the list without being completely reviewed, in only three months, for reasons such as missing interviews or appointments and failing to complete new fast-track questionnaires.

In March, the Telegraph reported that the UK government could force asylum seekers to move out of hotels and be placed in military bases or disused ferries, something the government did not deny at the time. 

Using ferries as a housing option was previously suggested. The Times reported in November that Home Secretary Suella Braverman told officials to find sites that could take asylum seekers, and disused cruise ships were one of the options.

The UK also struck a £500m deal with France in March to fund a detention center in northern France.

Afghan refugees in UK are homeless after government hotel evictions

Afghan refugees in the United Kingdom are appearing to authorities as homeless after being kicked out of government hotels in "shameful" evictions. Many of the families fled to the UK after the Taliban took power in 2021, having worked with or for the British government and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

By the end of May, all 8,000 Afghans residing in bridging hotels had been presented with eviction notices, and the government had given them three months to find alternative housing.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils, has now issued a warning after hearing claims that up to 20% of those removed had declared themselves homeless to local authorities. The hotels are being emptied in stages, with guests in the smaller hotels leaving first.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis, who served in Afghanistan, called the growing number of homeless families "shameful." He stated that moving people out of hotels was appropriate, but not at the rate that the government was doing it.

  • asylum seeker
  • Labour Party
  • Conservative Party
  • Tory Party
  • Keir Starmer
  • United Kingdom
  • Britain
  • asylum seekers

Most Read

The damaged building in the Katara neighborhood, Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025 (Social media)

Hamas delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar

  • Politics
  • 9 Sep 2025
Israeli police and rescue teams respond at the scene of a shooting attack where several people killed and injured in Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 (AP)

Al-Quds shooting: 7 settlers killed, several critically injured

  • Politics
  • 8 Sep 2025
Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

Pro-'Israel' far-right Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Friday, September 27, 2024 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' stops unfunded diplomacy ahead of UN, October 7 memorial

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet releases flares over the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

OIC summit draft: Israeli attack on Qatar risks normalization

People shout slogans and hold Palestinian flags while protesting during the twenty-first stage of La Vuelta cycling race from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP)
Sports

Pro-Palestine protests force abrupt end to Vuelta a España finale

Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime faces growing isolation over Qatar strike: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS