The Home Office announced they will no longer need the barge (Picture: Matt Keeble/PA Wire)
The Bibby Stockholm which houses 400 migrants will be closed down.
The Home Office announced they will no longer need the barge after its contract ends in January.
It is moored in Portland, Dorset, and is one of three major accommodation sites for asylum seekers.
It was first created by the Conservative Government to save money on housing migrats in hotels.
The first lot of asylum seekers housed were evacuated just days after their arrival, after Legionella bacteria was found on board the boat.
Two other sites, RAF Scampton in Licolnshire and RAF Wethersfield in Essex, are also set to be closed.
The Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle MP said: ‘We are determined to restore order to the asylum system, so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced.
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People carrying bags are seen walking up the gang-way into the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge (Picture: AFP)
Protestors called for the Bibby Stockholm to be axed after it was built (Picture: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
‘The Home Secretary has set out plans to start clearing the asylum backlog and making savings on accommodation which is running up vast bills for the taxpayer.
‘The Bibby Stockholm will continue to be in use until the contract expires in January 2025.’
The Bibby Stockholm was commissioned in April 2023 but only began housing people in August.
Police officers look out over the Bibby Stockholm immigration barge (Picture: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
Surrounded by 20ft-high fences, crawling with CCTV and 24/7 security, it has been described as a ‘floating prison’ by campaigners who say it will be overcrowded.
The round-the-clock security presence on the site provided by Isca, consisting of 18 guards trained to military standard taking shifts in groups of six, accompanies CCTV surveillance and back-up from police if needed.
In December, an Albanian asylum seeker killed themselves while housed on the barge.
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