Nottinghamshire council denies knowledge of housing asylum seekers who have left Bibby Stockholm barge

A Nottinghamshire council has denied knowledge of asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm barge being accommodated in its area. Hundreds of asylum seekers who were previously on the barge, moored off Portland in Dorset, have now been moved off as the contract for the Bibby Stockholm expires in January 2025.

Multiple reports suggest that some of those moved off the barge are now being housed in Worksop. The asylum seekers have been moved to several areas of the country and, once in temporary accommodation, they will eventually find out if they have been granted leave to remain in the UK.

Those successful will then have just 30 days to find somewhere to live. Alongside several reports suggesting Worksop was housing asylum seekers, The Daily Telegraph reported that this was being done with the support of Bassetlaw District Council.

A spokesperson for the Labour-led authority has now rubbished that claim, saying: "Bassetlaw District Council is aware of a report published in the Daily Telegraph suggesting that people seeking asylum are being 'transferred to a hotel and council accommodation in the Midlands' and that 'accommodation in Worksop is also being used, with the support of Bassetlaw Council'.

"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. Nor is the council providing any accommodation for people seeking asylum.

"The council has no knowledge of how Worksop has been identified as a potential location to house asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm and has not been contacted by the Daily Telegraph to verify this information, which has sparked widespread speculation in some of our communities."

Local authorities are not always immediately told by the Home Office about asylum seekers being housed in their area, with some councils having launched legal action in the past. The Home Office says it seeks to engage with local councils as early as possible.