Suella Braverman’s plan to house asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge could face a legal challenge as firefighters accused ministers of “callous disregard” for the safety of those on board.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has sent a “pre-action protocol letter” to the home secretary outlining its concerns over safety aboard the vessel, which is moored in Portland, Dorset.
The union previously branded the giant barge, which was initially designed for around 200 people but was modified to house 500 migrants, a “potential death trap”.
The first asylum seekers placed on board the Bibby Stockholm earlier this month were removed days later after tests revealed the presence of Legionella in its water supply – bacteria that can cause the potentially fatal legionnaires’ disease.
The FBU is demanding that Ms Braverman respond to its legal letter by Thursday or face legal action.
The general secretary of the union, Matt Wrack, said: “The Fire Brigades Union is the professional voice of firefighters, and we have a duty to make our voices heard on matters of fire safety, especially when politicians let our members and the wider public down. We have been sounding the alarm about the Bibby Stockholm for weeks.”
Mr Wrack said it was “disgraceful that the home secretary is not even willing to meet us to discuss these concerns”, adding: “The government has displayed a lack of transparency and a callous disregard for the safety of both firefighters and those who are due to be housed on the barge.”
The union leader said that fires “do not discriminate based on immigration status”, and that firefighters “have the right to expect that they will not be recklessly endangered”.
He added: “This is an industrial issue for the Fire Brigades Union, as our members are the ones expected to respond to any fire aboard the Bibby Stockholm. We have therefore decided to move towards a legal challenge on this matter.”
The ‘Bibby Stockholm’ resides at the port of Portland in Dorset
The FBU has raised concerns about access to fire exits and possible overcrowding on the vessel. The letter condemns the “highly dangerous accommodation arrangement”, adding that the idea of housing 500 people there is “inherently unsafe”.
The Bibby Stockholm is one of several sites, which also include former military bases, that ministers want to use to house migrants in an effort to cut hotel costs and deter people from entering the UK in a manner deemed “illegal”.
Home Office data this week showed that Channel crossings had topped 19,000 for the year so far, despite Rishi Sunak’s pledge that he would “stop the boats”.
The Sunak government is already facing a crowdfunded legal challenge from the Labour mayor of Portland, Carralyn Parkes, who claims that the Home Office did not obtain the necessary planning permission for the barge.
Refugee charity Care4Calais has looked at the cases of 56 people who were either on the barge or had been told they would be placed on board. Some 18 said they had been victims of torture or modern slavery.
A group of 39 of the asylum seekers who were briefly housed on the barge in Dorset wrote an open letter to Ms Braverman earlier this week saying it was an “unsafe, frightening and isolated place”.
The letter, arranged by Portland Global Friendship Group, said conditions were so bad that one asylum seeker had been driven to attempt suicide. “But we acted promptly and prevented this unfortunate event,” they said.
It is not yet clear when the government might attempt once again to place people on the barge. The Home Office is conducting further tests on the vessel’s water system, with migrants expected to re-embark “only when there is confirmation that the water system meets relevant safety standards”.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The health and welfare of asylum seekers remains of the utmost priority. The Bibby Stockholm successfully completed all fire and safety checks ahead of the first individuals boarding. The vessel completed a statutory inspection and refurbishment before undergoing final preparations to accommodate asylum seekers.”
