Ships set to house asylum seekers refused entry to Edinburgh dock

Barges set to house migrants as part of the Illegal Migration Bill have been refused permission to dock in Edinburgh.

A ship was denied berth in Leith Docks, mirroring similar incidents in the Wirral and London ports, as some vessels were returned to their owners.

The contentious Illegal Migration Bill which passed the House of Lords on Monday 17 July is one of the cornerstones of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ‘Stop the Boats’ campaign.  

The bill will see barges docked along the country as temporary housing for refugees seeking asylum in the UK.

Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day previously vented his frustration with the bill last month in a statement, saying:

“The fact that Forth Ports, who own the dock and have said they can’t accommodate the ship haven’t yet been contacted sums up the complete lack of engagement by the Home Office.”

Wirral Council echoed concerns in a letter to the Home Office, stating they too had “very few details” on the scheme. 

Scottish human rights action group JustRight Scotland have also petitioned the Scottish Government to challenge the bill in recent months, with CEO Emma Hutton writing in the Herald: 

“Should the worst come to pass, Scotland’s government and public authorities must decide how to respond when they are required by this legislation to act in ways that are nakedly in breach of international human rights law”.

The bill, which also proposed removing asylum seekers to Rwanda, has come under flak from the United Nations (UN), which stated that detention of this kind amounts to an infringement of the human rights of asylum seekers.

On July 18 the UN said: “Under the bill, the duty to remove anyone who comes to the UK illegally applies to victims of trafficking and slavery, accompanied children and unaccompanied children as soon as they turn 18.

“The bill bars migrants from presenting refugee protection or other human rights claims, regardless of their circumstances.”

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said: “Carrying out removals under these circumstances is contrary to prohibitions of refoulement and collective expulsions, rights to due process, to family and private life, and the principle of best interests of children concerned”. 

Protesters have also gathered in Portland, Dorset where the Bibby Stockholm, the only successful barge to be docked, is currently located.

“Water of Leith” by indii.org / Lawrence Murray is licensed under CC BY 2.0.