Conditions on board the Bibby Stockholm barge drove one asylum seeker to attempt suicide, it has been revealed.
A three-page letter sent to the home secretary, Suella Braverman, has disclosed the trauma suffered by the 39 asylum seekers who were briefly accommodated on the barge in Dorset.
They describe the barge as “an unsafe, frightening and isolated place” but said that as law-abiding people they were fearful of not obeying Home Office instructions.
The asylum seekers described the barge as “a place of exile” and said the conditions were “small rooms and a terrifying residence”.
Some of the asylum seekers have told the Guardian they are too traumatised to return to the barge in Portland.
The letter adds: “Also in a tragic incident one of the asylum seekers attempted suicide but we acted promptly and prevented this unfortunate event. Considering the ongoing difficulties it’s not unexpected that we might face a repeat of such situations in the future.
“Some friends said they even wished they had courage to commit suicide. Our personal belief is that many of these individuals might resort to this foolishness to escape problems in the future.”
They said they were the last people to be informed about the legionella bacteria found on the barge and announced by the Home Office on 11 August.
With a capacity of more than 500, the Government hoped that the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge, together with former military bases, will help reduce the amount it is spending on hotel bills.
However, just days after the first migrants arrived at the vessel, they had to be removed because of the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “The Home Office are still awaiting the results of the further tests. As I said, they want to re-embark people as soon as possible once those tests have been completed.”
He added: “We continue to work closely with the contractors on this to make sure that the accommodation is appropriate and we have all the tests in place.”
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