Is the Bibby Stockholm cruel? The first people have moved into a converted barge that will one day house 500 migrants.
Furious debate over migrant 'floating prison'
Is the Bibby Stockholm cruel? The first people have moved into a converted barge that will one day house 500 migrants.
What's happening?
The first 15 asylum seekersPeople who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere. boarded the Bibby Stockholm on Monday. The bargeA long flat-bottomed boat for carrying goods. used to carry goods between places. But soon it could be the home of 500 people.
The barge, built in 1972, used to be a homeless shelter. If 500 people live there, each person could have less living space than a parking spot.
Britain's leaders want the number of people crossing the English ChannelThe stretch of water separating France and England is only 21 miles at its narrowest point, making it a popular way to enter the UK. in small boats to fall.
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Leaders also say the barge will lower costs. Today, the UK spends £6m every day to house migrants in the hotel. Using barges instead of hotels could make housing migrants cheaper.
But to others, the Bibby Stockholm is a symbol of the cruel treatment refugees will receive when they arrive in the UK.
Is the Bibby Stockholm cruel?
Yes! It does not have enough space to be a home for 500 people. It is not fair to house people in a place described as a "floating prison".
No! The barge is said to have a gym, a dining hall and common rooms with games and other forms of entertainment. Everyone will have a bed to sleep in. It will be clean. It is not cruel.
Keywords
Asylum seekers - People who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere.
Barge - A long flat-bottomed boat for carrying goods.
English Channel - The stretch of water separating France and England is only 21 miles at its narrowest point, making it a popular way to enter the UK.
Furious debate over migrant ‘floating prison’
Glossary
Asylum seekers - People who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere.
Barge - A long flat-bottomed boat for carrying goods.
English Channel - The stretch of water separating France and England is only 21 miles at its narrowest point, making it a popular way to enter the UK.