Ministers axe Mersey asylum seekers barge plan

The government has dropped plans to accommodate 1,000 asylum seekers on a barge on the River Mersey.

Local MPs and authorities in Wirral had opposed the proposal, saying there had been a lack of consultation.

Mick Whitley, Labour MP for Birkenhead, called on ministers to treat asylum seekers "with respect - including by allowing them to seek paid work".

The Home Office said continuing demands on the asylum system "requires us to look at a range of accommodation".

The government has previously said the cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels was nearly £7m a day.

A Home Office spokeswoman said they "remain committed to working closely with all councils and key partners", adding that other European countries were also planning to use vessels as temporary accommodation.

The number of asylum seekers in the UK awaiting an initial decision on their case recently climbed to a record high of 172,758, despite government promises to bring it down.

Earlier this week, the prime minister said barges would "relieve pressure" on communities and hotels hosting migrants.

The first barge to accommodate asylum seekers is due to dock in Portland Port, Dorset this month despite protests highlighting the impact on local services.

Dame Angela Eagle, Labour MP for Wallasey, said the scrapped Mersey proposal was "never a viable humane plan" and the wider region "already looks after a higher-than-average number of asylum seekers and refugees".

Peel Ports, which operates the port's infrastructure, issued a statement explaining they had "consistently said" they could provide a berth for the barge but "it was dependent on the necessary support from the local agencies".

"Last week, we simply observed that we could not see any conceivable scenario where the local agencies are going to be able to provide the necessary support to make this solution work," a spokesman said.

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