Asylum seekers in the UK are being removed from the Bibby Stockholm barge due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply, according to reports.
Sky News reported it is being done as a “precautionary measure” and that no migrants have fallen sick or developed Legionnaires’ disease, which is a serious type of pneumonia.
Advertisement
On Monday, and after weeks of delays caused by safety concerns, local opposition and legal challenges, the first 15 asylum seekers boarded the Bibby Stockholm barge.
Around 50 people were expected to move onboard the giant vessel, docked in Portland Port in Dorset, but around 20 were granted a last-minute reprieve after a series of legal challenges.