Asylum seeker dies on board the Bibby Stockholm barge
Asylum seeker dies on board the Bibby Stockholm barge
PA
An asylum seeker on board the Bibby Stockholm barge docked in Dorset has died.
Emergency services attended the barge at 6.22am this morning following the report of a sudden death.
A spokesperson from the Home Office said: "Our thoughts and condolences are with those affected by the death of a resident on the Bibby Stockholm.
"The welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance. Any death in asylum accommodation is a tragic event, and will be subject to investigation by the police and coroner."
WATCH: A body bag has been removed from the Bibby Stockholm barge
Chief executive of campaign group Best for Britain Naomi Smith said: "This is incredibly sad and worrying. I hope the authorities will be doing all they can to ensure there are no other fatalities on board this vile vessel."
Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer said: "I don't know the details of it but obviously first and foremost my heart goes out to the family and friends of an individual who has lost their life.
"I don't know the circumstances so I'll try to give a fuller answer when I do but my human instinct is of course with the individual who has lost his or her life and the family and friends of that individual who will be grieving as we speak."
Unconfirmed reports suggest the man died in a suicide.
The vessel was evacuated in August after deadly legionella bacteria was found onboard. However, in October the Home Office began moving people back onto the 500-capacity vessel.
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The Bibby Stockholm has been controversial
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MP for South Dorset Richard Drax said: "This is a tragedy born of an impossible situation. I was informed of the death by the Home Office this morning and await more information.
"While I never agreed to, nor accepted the imposition of the barge on South Dorset, I believe it was at least a decent, safe haven for some of those cruelly trafficked across the Channel.
"One can only imagine the desperate circumstances which led to this sad outcome; we must do all that we can to end this evil trade in human misery."
Chief executive of Care4Calais Steve Smith said: "Our thoughts are with the person who has lost their life, their family and their friends. It is also with all those stuck on board the Bibby Stockholm who will be experiencing a deep feeling of grief and worry today.
“The UK Government must take responsibility for this human tragedy. They have wilfully ignored the trauma they are inflicting on people who are sent to the Bibby Stockholm, and the hundreds being accommodated in former military barracks.
Smith added: "They are being separated from the rest of society and we have witnessed a serious deterioration of people’s mental health. We have regularly been reporting suicidal intentions amongst residents and no action is taken."
Ann Salter, from the campaigning charity Freedom from Torture said: "This latest tragedy is yet another reminder that the Government’s punitive anti-refugee policies are not only cruel, but they cost lives."
A spokesperson from Dorset Police said: "At 6.22am on Tuesday, December 12 2023, Dorset Police received a report of a sudden death of a resident on the Bibby Stockholm.
"Officers are conducting enquiries into the circumstances of the incident. The coroner’s office has been notified of the death."
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