One year on | Fabian Society

The sad saga of the Bibby Stockholm will soon come to an end as Labour must reset the asylum crisis, writes MP Lloyd Hatton

In the Fabian Review this time last year, I described the sad story of the Bibby Stockholm barge – a floating ship used to house asylum seekers in my constituency. Much has changed since then.

This new Labour government has hit the reset button and announced that the barge will soon close. How did we get here and what lies ahead?

The previous Conservative government installed the barge in Portland Harbour as a political gimmick. It was supposed to help wage a divisive culture war and generate positive headlines. It failed on both counts. Instead, the barge became a symbol of neglect and a source of ridicule when it became clear it would cost taxpayers a fortune.

We must never forget that my constituents ended up on this wasteful boat because the previous government failed to solve the asylum crisis. Under their watch, dangerous small boat crossings soared, criminal gangs profited from industrial-scale human trafficking, and the backlog of unresolved asylum claims ballooned. If the previous Conservative government had spent more time responding to this disaster and less time playing politics, then – put simply – there would be no boat.

Labour’s new Home Affairs team now has the opportunity to step up its game, reshape the approach to this crisis and clean up the mess we have inherited.

The clean-up operation has already begun with the decision to cancel the barge and similar schemes – mainly the Rwanda plan. These unworkable schemes have burned through taxpayers’ money and yet they have yielded negligible results. The Minister of the Interior has made the right decision to end them as soon as possible.

Next, it is essential that this new government is open with the public about the scale of the problem. Under the Tories, the simmering asylum crisis was initially overlooked, which surely contributed to it spiralling out of control. The public deserves to know every detail about the mess we have inherited. We must also be transparent about the complex nature of this crisis when formulating Labour’s response, otherwise we will simply fuel frustration and mistrust.

In the future, the whole of government must work together to disrupt and destroy the criminal gangs at the heart of this crisis. They will continue to transport individuals illegally for as long as it is practical and profitable. The Home Secretary is absolutely right to say that we must do whatever it takes to crush these gangs, including using counter-terrorism powers.
This crisis must also be understood and addressed within the wider European context, meaning that any government response must be closely coordinated with our regional allies and partners. This Labour government has already begun to take the necessary steps to establish itself as a leading player in the international response.

And finally, we must meaningfully address the frustration felt across the country. My constituents are understandably fed up with this crisis and shocked by the subsequent human suffering; they want to know that their concerns are being heard and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. This Government inherited a broken system; it is vital that we now create a much stronger, fairer and faster asylum system that – crucially – the public can trust.

The stopping of the Bibby Stockholm barge marks a long-awaited reset – one that puts realistic and humane solutions above political ploys and division. I am proud of the early progress this Labour government has made. Now we must be laser-focused on ending this crisis on our shores.

Image: Ashley Smith via Wikimedia Commons