Portland (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Residents of Portland, in southwest England, express their anger and concern at the arrival of a barge which will house 500 asylum seekers in the next few months. “When the barge got announced I was really shocked” says Heather, a member of the group ‘Stand Up To Racism’, “I was really upset”. The 93-metre Bibby Stockholm is part of the UK government’s hardened plan to tackle illegal channel crossings, with the barge intended to act as a deterrent and mark a move away from more costly forms of accommodating migrants. “I think it’s important for locals to show that we welcome refugees” says another Portland resident, Richard Hatfield.
