Hundreds of people in the capital have taken to blocking coaches from transporting asylum seekers to the Bibby Stockholm barge.
In the last month, two major protests have taken place, with some protesters being arrested by the Met.
Last Friday, protesters blocked police from reaching Driscoll House on New Kent Road in Southwark.
Protest group Southwark & Lambeth Anti-Raids announced on their Instagram that despite “police intimidation throughout the day, the Home Office eventually released a statement saying that no one would be taken to the [Bibby Stockholm] barge.”
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed no people were removed from the hostel on that day.
They added: “Housing migrants in hotels costs £8 million a day. We have returned 150 hotels to local communities and the public would expect us to use alternative accommodation sites which reduce costs for the taxpayer.
“The police have extensive public order powers to tackle any potential disorder at protests and have our full support in doing so.”
In Peckham on May 2, a total of 45 people were arrested after they blocked a coach from taking asylum seekers to the Bibby Stockholm barge.
The offences included obstruction of the highway, obstructing police, and assault on officers, according to the Met.
The Bibby Stockholm has served as temporary housing since last August, as officials explored alternatives to expensive hotels for migrants awaiting asylum decisions.
However, the vessel has encountered numerous problems, including an outbreak of Legionella bacteria.
In December, a 27-year-old Albanian man, Leonard Farruku, died aboard the barge – it is believed he took his own life.
In February, MPs expressed concerns that the “claustrophobic” conditions on the ship might violate the human rights of asylum seekers.
In Edinburgh, Humza Yousaf told MSPs during the First Minister’s questions: “I deplore the inhumane Home Office enforcement action that we have seen.
“Detaining people to remove them to Rwanda forcibly is cruel and punishes some of the most vulnerable in our society.”
Featured image credit: Stephen Craven (CC BY-SA 2.0)
