Welcome packs and chants amid local discontent
SUPPORTERS gathered outside as the first migrants boarded the Bibby Stockholm yesterday.
The arrivals were driven by coach and mini-bus to Portland, Dorset, from hotels in Oxford, Bristol, Torbay and Bournemouth throughout the day.
They were greeted at the gates by uniformed police and up to 20 members of the Stand Up To Racism group, who chanted: ‘No hate, no fear, migrants are welcome here.’
The activists also held banners reading: ‘Refugees welcome, no to the prison barge’ and had flowers and welcome packs, including maps and toiletries, to hand out to the arrivals.
The barge can hold up to 500 migrants who will live in cabins which can accommodate up to six people.
Each cabin has en suite toilets and showers and the asylumseekers have access to cycling, hiking, board games, movie room and gym.
But hundreds of Weymouth and Portland residents, as well as local MPs and Dorset Council, have objected to the presence of the barge although locals kept a lid on their discontent yesterday.
Chief among their concerns is the sudden impact the introduction of 500 people will have on the small local community.
Many have also voiced worries about a potential rise in crime and the effect on tourism.
Kate Robson, of the campaign group No To The Barge, said: ‘I’m horrified that the Government has ignored advice from the fire brigade union. We decided not to protest outside the gates because it’s not about the cohort of men, it’s about the port and the infrastructure.
‘I’m disgusted by the sheer arrogance of the Home Office and Portland Port for enabling this. It’s about profit over safety. Nobody has thought this through properly.’
Business owners also voiced their opposition. Deborah Hackley, 58, landlady of The Pulpit Inn on Portland Bill, said the arrival of the refugees could be the last straw for her business. ‘This part of the world is dependent on the tourist trade and if people are reluctant to come to Portland because of the numbers of refugees in the area then it’s going to have a huge impact on the economy as a whole’, she added.
Alison Scrivener, 55, who has run the Thyme Out cafe for the last 18 years in Weymouth, warned: ‘It will ruin Weymouth and it will ruin my business. I am a local business and I rely on local people coming into town.
‘ But with the car parking charges going up recently and now this, I really do fear that my business will disappear.’ A visiting cruise ship recently decided against stopping at Portland over concerns for the safety of its passengers due to a protest taking place.
The move is said to have cost the local economy £400,000 in lost income.
The barge will eventually house 506 men who will be free to come and go as they wish during their stay. A free hourly bus service has been laid on to transport them to Portland and Weymouth and back again.
They will also be given a free mobile phone if they do not already have one and have access to healthcare while living on the barge.
The migrants will be encouraged to take part in activities like football and cricket while they are not on board.
They can also carry out voluntary work in the community and take English lessons.
On board the vessel, the migrants will have various communal spaces such as a quiet room, multi-faith room, media room with television and computer access, and a games room for activities like playing cards.
Dorset Council and NHS Dorset are also being paid £3million for providing extra services, healthcare and activities for the men. Money will also be spent on beefing up CCTV in the area and paying for additional community safety officers.
Portland, near Weymouth, is linked to the mainland by the famous Chesil Beach, with a population of around 13,500.
‘It’s about profit over safety’