Ministers make plans to house up to 5,000 migrants in offices and student halls - report reveals

The Government is making plans to hire more barges to house asylum seekers, with plans to host up to 5,000 migrants in offices and student halls, according to a report by The Telegraph. Ministers will continue to house asylum seekers on barges, despite Legionella bacteria being discovered in the water supply onboard the Bibby Stockholm, which forced migrants to disembark just days after moving onboard.

The news comes just a day after six migrants lost their lives and over 50 people were rescued from the Channel in the early hours Saturday morning. A government spokesperson told the Telegraph that it was vowing to “break the people smugglers’ business model and stop the boats”.

According to multiple reports, most of those rescued were Afghans with some Sudanese people also on board. France’s Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and North Sea has shared that according to survivors around 66 people had originally boarded the boat.

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, chaired an emergency meeting with Border Force officials on Saturday, saying that her “thoughts and prayers” were with those affected by the “tragic loss of life”. The news came after the Government was forced to disembark 39 asylum seekers living on board the Bibby Stockholm after Legionella was found in the water system, which meant the accommodation could not be used for a number of weeks.

Despite this, ministers are reportedly still intending to push on with more barges to house migrants in an attempt to end the use of hotels. Despite the Government making plans to bring in additional vessels, the aim is to home the majority of migrants in onshore accommodation.

The Telegraph has revealed that up to 10 unused student accommodation and former office sites are currently being considered, with each averaging around 500 places per site. The Home Office was previously granted permission to turn former student accommodation in Stafford into a home for 481 asylum seekers.

At the start of 2023, the Home Office overcame resistance from the local council in Coventry after making plans to house migrants in former student accommodation, with a capacity for over 100 people.

A government source told The Telegraph that cities such as Leicester, Portsmouth, Lincoln, Stoke-on-Trent and Huddersfield are being considered after being seen to have a surplus of student housing. However, it was also noted that Durham, Southampton, Glasgow, Bristol and York would be unlikely to be considered as they face particularly acute accommodation shortages.