According to a report, the Labour government said it will use barges to temporarily house asylum seekers if it wins the next general election, scheduled for no later than January 2025. Reportedly, fifty single male asylum seekers are already expected to arrive to be housed on a barge, the Bibby Stockholme in Dorset. According to the report, locals are opposing the move and the fire brigade union have described the barge as a potential death trap.
Reportedly, uk government ministers are drawing up proposals to send asylum seekers arriving in the uk to Ascension Island, a british overseas territory 4000 miles away if plans to send them to Rwanda fail. According to the report, ministers believe that its remote location would create a strong deterrant for those planning to cross the channel in small boats. The water crisis in Africa is contributing to growing concerns about the migrant problem.