Inside the controversial boat where the UK is sheltering refugees

The first 15 people got on the plane on Monday (7/8), but 20 people refused.

British government sources have told the BBC that anyone who does not agree to be accommodated on the ferry will not be entitled to alternative accommodation.

The ferry is located in the port of Portland, on a peninsula south of the southern English city of Dorset, and is a destination for cruise ships and freighters.

It is docked at the same location as the prison ship, which was used to decongest prisons for nine years, until 2006.

There was significant opposition to the British government’s initiative, due to concerns about the welfare of asylum seekers as well as the potential impact on local services.

But some residents are determined to take them in and have set up a local support group.

The first to board received kits that were funded by donations from local residents and put together by volunteers from the group.

The kits include personal hygiene products, as well as a map of the area, notebooks and pens, and the volunteer group’s phone number.

Journalists were allowed a guided tour of the Bibby Stockholm before the first passengers arrived.

Inside, the ferry looks like an “old hotel”, according to the BBC’s Dan Johnson.

Long, awkward hallways lead to relatively spacious cabins, which include a desk, wardrobe, safe, television, and large windows.

Each bedroom has a private bathroom with a shower and there are additional amenities on each of the three floors.

Originally the ferry had 222 cabins, which will now accommodate 506 passengers.

This was only possible because bunk beds were placed in every room.

There is a TV room with a large screen and sofas, an ecumenical prayer room and a study room that can be used for meetings and activities.

Some of the other common spaces were converted into extra sleeping quarters for four to six men – but journalists were not allowed to see them.

The dining hall is large, with a long dining counter and tables of six chairs arranged in rows.

On the day of the press visit, the menu included eggs and pancakes for breakfast and potato soup and beef gravy for dinner.

According to the authorities, it will change regularly and meet individual needs and religious requirements.

A gym and outdoor entertainment space are located in the two courtyards in the center of the barge.

Passengers will also have access to the pier, in a fenced area – according to the authorities, this is to ensure the safety of the port, which also receives cruise ships, cargo ships and navy vessels.

There will also be 24/7 security.

Asylum seekers will be issued identification cards and will have to go through airport-like security controls to board and disembark from the ship.

For security reasons they will be advised to take a bus that will take them to the port exit and then use other buses every hour between 9am and 11pm to go to Portland or Weymouth.

There is no curfew, but if they don’t come back there will be a ‘care call’ to make sure they are okay.

Excursions are planned, as well as sporting activities, guided walks and visits to farms, as well as the opportunity to help out the local community.

The men will receive medical care on the ferry or remotely by a team of health professionals, amid concerns from the local community about the impact of more people on hospital infrastructure in the area.

According to the BBC’s Dan Johnson, the government “clearly wants to show that this housing is neither cruel nor inhuman”, although the Home Office has always described it as “essential and practical”.

“It definitely doesn’t have the coolness of the ocean line—there’s no big staircase or pretty artwork or sculptures. The stairs look quite industrial,” Johnson says.

“But it feels reasonably comfortable,” he adds.

Some of the participating journalists stated that the standard is better than some of the hotels currently hosting asylum seekers.

However, the media visit lasted only an hour.

According to the British government, some men could stay on board for up to nine months. And when the barge is full, the living conditions of the passengers can change.

The government says it is currently spending six million pounds ($10 million) a day to house more than 50,000 migrants in hotels.

The Home Office says it intends to house about 3,000 asylum-seekers in places other than hotels by the autumn, such as the ferry and former military facilities at Wethersfield and Scampton, in the counties of Essex and Lincolnshire respectively.

Immigration Secretary Robert Jenrick said the government had been “clear that those arriving in the UK illegally should not be accommodated in expensive hotels”.

“Our use of alternative shelter sites and vessels provides basic and appropriate standards for migrants arriving on small boats while their (asylum) claims are being reviewed,” he said.