The Bibby Stockholm, a barge used to house asylum seekers, is being prepared for removal from Portland Port. The BBC examines the impact the vessel had on the communities of Weymouth and Portland, highlighting concerns about job prospects, public services, and the rise of far-right demonstrations.
Preparations are being made to tow the Bibby Stockholm away from Portland Port. The cost of the Bibby Stockholm will no longer fall on the taxpayer or the Home Office by the end of the week. Introduced in April 2023, the vessel was intended to be a temporary home under Home Office plans to ease the pressure on the asylum system. As the barge is being prepared to be towed away, the BBC looks at the mark it has left on the communities of Weymouth and Portland .
The seaside resort and neighbouring peninsula were already said to be stuck in a vicious cycle of 'poor job prospects and low earnings' before the Bibby Stockholm arrived. Co-author Jenny Lennon-Wood said people in the area felt no-one was 'concerned for their wellbeing' and were not 'being given the opportunities they should be'. 'There has also been a decline in public services, particularly health, so when the Bibby Stockholm was announced local people were very troubled by the idea that there might be a 500 increase on Portland where they were already fighting to save their hospital,' she said. For those it affected the most, she said it did lead to demonstrations which attracted members of the far right. 'It wasn't a very big group of people, most people were at least neutral, but many people were prepared to be supportive of the refugees,' she added. Natasha Wilding supported the asylum seekers in an LGBTQI+ social group that was set up for some of the men living on board. 'As a trans woman I understand and can empathise how it feels to be part of a marginalised community,' she told the BBC. 'I can't feel how they feel about being persecuted in their countries, about knowing that they are living under the threat of death if they live their authentic selves where they are.
ASYLUM SEEKERS IMMIGRATION PORTLAND SOCIAL IMPACT PROTEST
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