Housing illegal migrants on barges is £20 a night per person cheaper than hotels, insists the Home Office
Illegal migrants finding housing on barges are saving taxpayers £20 a night per person as compared to staying in hotels, according to the Home Office. The Home Office is claiming a significant saving by housing migrants on barges, such as the Bibby Stockholm, at £120 per night compared to £140 per night in hotels, it has emerged.
Housing of Illegal Migrants and Cost Savings
When examining the cost of housing, the Home Office Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft has highlighted that the total savings, including set-up costs, will be around £800,000 for the entire 18-month period that the vessel will be in use. This is in spite of the initial costs for the Bibby Stockholm, which totaled £22 million. However, the Home Office did not provide detailed calculations for the cost comparisons, despite being pressed to do so.
The decision to purchase the Bibby Stockholm, which is currently moored off Portland, Dorset, was aimed at reducing the high cost of housing migrants in hotels, which was reaching a staggering £8 million per day, ultimately burdening the taxpayers.
Deportations Under the UK’s Agreement with Rwanda
Additionally, Home Secretary James Cleverly has also weighed in on the issue of deportations, asserting that deportation numbers under the UK’s agreement with Rwanda could be low, depending on a variety of factors. He, however, declined to offer a prediction on the expected number of deportations through this agreement.
Rise in Channel Crossings and Migrant Arrivals
These developments come in the midst of a rise in migrants attempting dangerous sea crossings, with more than 1,000 migrants having already arrived in the UK since the beginning of the year, based on Home Office figures. Just yesterday, the coastguard confirmed that there were a number of incidents off the Kent coast, leading to lifeboats from Dover, Dungeness, and Hastings being deployed to rescue individuals on small boats from the sea.
It is clear that the situation is steadily escalating and prompting necessary discussions at the governmental level to address the challenges posed by illegal migration.