Nottinghamshire council trying to find homes for asylum seekers moved off Bibby Stockholm barge

A Nottinghamshire council is helping to secure potential accommodation for asylum seekers previously housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge. Hundreds of asylum seekers were previously on the barge, moored off Portland in Dorset, but were recently moved off as the contract for the Bibby Stockholm expires in January 2025.

Multiple reports suggested that some of those moved off the barge were being housed in Worksop. Bassetlaw District Council said it had no contact with any agencies about asylum seekers being housed in Worksop and that it was not involved in securing them temporary accommodation.

Yet an email from the council's chief executive does show that the authority is involved in securing those affected longer-term accommodation. Asylum seekers are housed in temporary accommodation until they have had a decision on whether they are granted refugee status, and therefore the right to remain in the UK.

Those granted refugee status are then given 28 days notice to leave their temporary accommodation and find longer-term housing. In an email sent to all Bassetlaw district councillors on Tuesday (October 29), council CEO David Armiger writes: "I would like to be very clear that the asylum dispersal process is managed by Serco on behalf of the Home Office.

"The council is only informed of the very general location of potential asylum accommodation and does not know of any specific location, nor indeed who will be placed within them. This is all managed by Serco and the council has no direct input to support this process.

"The council does however have a legal duty to those who are given leave to remain. In this instance, we are informed that the individuals have been served with a 28 day notice to quit from the Serco accommodation and we would look to secure suitable accommodation when requested to do so.

"As a result we have been in contact with private sector landlords to source potential accommodation for those individuals." Councillor Fraser McFarland, the Chairman of the Bassetlaw Conservative Association, raised concerns about reports of asylum seekers being in Worksop by writing: "Disappointed to see the Labour Government not only cancel the previous plans to address illegal migration but also choose to house migrants in our community here in Bassetlaw.

"As your local councillor, I believe it's essential to hold our leaders accountable. I will be asking the council about their role in agreeing to this policy and what impact it will have on our community."

A Bassetlaw District Council spokesperson previously said: "The council can confirm that is has had no contact with the Home Office, its asylum dispersal partner Serco, or East Midlands Councils about transferring people seeking asylum from the Bibby Stockholm to Worksop."