May 9, 2023 – 12:55 PM
Photo: UK Home Office/AFP
A three-story, 222-bedroom houseboat has arrived in Portland – Sky News reports. The huge floating container city will be put into operation in the summer and will provide accommodation for asylum seekers arriving in the country for eighteen months.
500 unmarried male asylum seekers will be accommodated on the boat.
According to the Home Office, the accommodation will also include essential services such as healthcare, dining options and 24-hour security – meaning that in addition to a concierge service, there will also be, for example, a doctor’s office, canteen and social spaces on board.
According to reports, this would cost £20,000 (over 8.5 million HUF) per day. And although the rent for housing is not yet known, according to the authorities, it will be “much cheaper than a hotel room.”
The ship provides temporary accommodation for the asylum-seeker until his claim is assessed.
The plan was criticized by a number of local Conservative representatives, who said the government had “threw the hotel at their door” without consulting them or the residents. According to opponents of the plan, it is dangerous to lock up hundreds of vulnerable people in such a small area, and furthermore, accommodation places great pressure on the small number of coast guards.
