Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Vigil held in memory of tragic asylum seeker
ACROWD of residents, campaigners and asylum seekers gathered outside Portland Port to pay their respects to an asylum seeker who died on the Bibby Stockholm and call for the vessel to be scrapped.
Mourners arrived to lay more floral tributes, candles and messages in memory of a man who is believed to have taken his own life on Tuesday morning.
Refugee charity Care4Calais and Stand Up to Racism Dorset organised a vigil of around 70 people outside the port yesterday.
Six asylum seekers from the barge also visited the vigil to remember the man. A minute’s silence was also held after several speeches from campaigners.
Candy Unwin, a figure from Stand Up To Racism Dorset, relayed a message from the asylum seekers who said they did not know who the man was and claimed to have been kept in the dark about the incident.
Ms Unwin also used the gathering to highlight the conditions on board the barge and called on the Government to scrap the Bibby Stockholm or at least offer more mental health support for asylum seekers.
She said: “They really are feeling quite desperate and they probably were before. There are some people who are suffering from mental health issues, but even people who just feel constantly stressed by the fact that they don’t know what is happening with their lives.
“I mean, most of the people that we’ve met have been here well over a year, you know, up to two years (in the asylum system), with their lives on hold in what feels like a prison. They are not allowed to do anything and they’d like to work.
“Today is partly about saying scrap the barge. It’s inhumane but also the asylum system. Why spend £22.5 million on a barge when you could spend the money processing these guys’ claims? Let them get on with their lives.”
Many attendees, who are in contact with the asylum seekers, say they are aware that people on board are “struggling” with their mental health. They added they were sadly not surprised about the death on board and called on the Home Office to offer better support.
Other campaigners at the vigil felt that asylum seekers unfairly “got a lot of bad press” while others were concerned for the asylum seekers on board the barge.
Portland Welcome Group member and local councillor Giovanna Lewis told the crowd the barge is “inhumane” and called upon the community to support those on board.
She said: “We will continue to lobby and campaign to get rid of that barge and get people decent accommodation and our message constantly is refugees are welcome here and we know that.”
Laney White from Portland Global Friendship Group, who have provided welcome packs and support to many of barge residents, previously said: “Mental health support on the barge seems non-existent. We have provided support to a number of residents who have suicidal thoughts.
“They don’t seem to get help from professionals. In fact, we have reports of people in distress just being ignored or worse by security staff on board. Conditions have got even worse now that there are over 300 men on board.”
The Home Office said the death on Tuesday would be investigated by the police and coroner.
A statement said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone affected.
“The welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance, and we take our responsibility for their wellbeing incredibly seriously.”