The British government is accused of playing Russian roulette with the welfare of asylum seekers. Last month, around fifty of them moved aboard the Bibby Stockholm, a barge intended to house them, before being evacuated less than a week later, since Legionella were spotted on board. This Friday, September 1, we learn that the firefighters also had doubts about the safety of the boat.
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With our correspondent in London, Emeline Wine
A few days before the arrival of the asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm, the fire inspectors had spotted five urgent repairs to be carried out on the barge. Among other things, there were the following elements: opening more emergency exits, organizing fire drills, and installing more ventilation routes… According to the report of the fire brigade, without these changes, the residents of Bibby Stockholm were at serious risk case of fire.
Despite these recommendations, the Home Office moved the asylum seekers onto the ship. Authorities also knew that the plumbing was substandard, but repairs would have taken several months.
While the barge had to be evacuated for an indefinite period, due to the presence of respiratory bacteria, the Minister Suella Braverman ensures that asylum seekers will return to Bibby Stockholm; it is a pillar of its migration policy. But she refuses to confirm that the work requested by the firefighters will take place by then.
NGOs defending the rights of migrants denounce “ new proof of cruelty of the Conservative government.
Read alsoUnited Kingdom: barely settled, asylum seekers evacuated from the boat “Bibby Stockholm”