This is the floating prison for immigrants that the United Kingdom is preparing The same company that designed the prison traded slaves in the 19th century

He BP StockholmHe The first prison ship to house refugeesAlready found on Portland Beach, United Kingdom, And in a few weeks, it is expected to begin accommodating the first residents. The initiative, which the British government says will “save money on hotels that have to send asylum seekers”, It has been heavily criticized by human rights organizations.

The barge’s arrival at the port came hours after the House of Lords approved the controversial New England Border Act at midnight on Monday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – son of African parents Belongs to Hindu origin.– Tries and pretends to show himself more and more right Stop the entry of other nationalities into the European country.

According to official information, the BB Stockholm, Yar It will be operational for at least 18 months, has a capacity of up to 500 people and has 250 twin cells. It was designed for the accommodation of “single adult males” awaiting resolution of their administrative situation on the islands.

Instead of doing it from the freedom of a hotel, asylum seekers will be “under security measures on board”. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, “to minimize disruption to local communities,” the government said in its anti-immigrant plan. The ship will remain in Dorset waters.

The move, endorsed by both Sunak and far-right Interior Minister Suella Braverman, has been widely criticized by human rights groups.

History Review (Slavery)

In the final hours, more truth than curiosity emerged: The family that owned the floating prison traded slaves in the 1800s. Company BB Line Group Ltd., contracted by the British government, was founded by John BB in 1807, the year slavery was abolished in England.

BB, before this, was Owner of three “slave” ships According to the SlaveVoyages database. The Harmony, in 1805, carried 250 Angolan slaves to the British Guianas; Sally, which took 250 Nigerian slaves to Barbados in 1806; and the Eagle, which in 1806 delivered 237 Cameroonian slaves to Kingston, Jamaica.

And, according to Corporate Watch, Bibby Stockholm has a pretty terrifying track record: Between 1994 and 1998 “it was used to house the homeless, Some of them are asylum seekers in Hamburg, Germany.”

while, “In 2005, it was used to detain asylum seekers in the Netherlands. It became controversial at the time. According to Corporate Watch, the confidential reports revealed several cases of abuse on board, including beatings and sexual exploitation, as well as attempted suicides, strip searches, and the death of an Algerian man.

Political strategy

The Installation of this boat and Deportation of migrants to Rwanda Entry into the United Kingdom via the English Channel A major challenge for the Sunak government is to prevent the entry of migrantsOne of the five government promises made to citizens by the Prime Minister earlier this year.

With this, on the one hand, the number of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom will decrease, and on the other hand, the president is hoping for an electoral revival as he faces a general election next year, with the polls going completely against him.

Statistics defy rhetoric

Although the British government has repeatedly claimed that the country is experiencing a real influx of refugees, official figures are far from reaffirming that idea. In 2020, 8,713 refugees arrived in the United Kingdom through the English Channel; in 2021, 28,526; By 2022, 45,723, and, This time, 13,200 people arrived in 2023. Five EU countries – Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Malta – have received 100,995 as of July 16.

The Home Office has confirmed that in an attempt to cut hotel costs, the PP will accommodate asylum seekers elsewhere in addition to the Stockholm barge. Officials said that by March 2023, three disused army bases in Essex, Lincolnshire and East Sussex would be used: the first for 1,700 people, the second for 2,000 and the third for a maximum of 1,200. A fourth will also open in the north of England, but the number of refugees it could accommodate has yet to be specified.