and sword, a man, ora woman? through to the quarterfinals. hello. it s a controversial policy, attacked by human rights groups and subject to legal challenge. but today, the first of possibly hundreds of migrants, moved onto a barge docked off the coast of dorset, to be housed while they await the outcome of asylum applications. the government says the vessel, which will accomodate up to 500 men, will be better value than hotels costing 6 million pounds a day. but concerns have been raised about the possible impact on local services, and campaigners have called it a shameful way to treat people, who are often fleeing war or persecution. danjohnson has our top story tonight, and we can join him now in portland, where the barge is docked. this is deeply controversial. whether you are supportive of it or against it, a lot of people are, this marks a big moment, a key change in the state s attitude towards refugees. that attitude which is projected on behalf of us all. what has
in belarus, imprisoned and held in isolation. we have a special report. and, great britain s kieran reilly wins bmx freestyle gold, at the world championhips, in glasgow. on bbc london. on newsnight at 10:30pm: as the first asylum seekers board the government s barge in dorset, we look at the asylum system as a whole. is it fit for purpose? we ll speak to representatives from the conservatives and labour. hello. it s a controversial policy, that s attracted attention around the world. it s been attacked by human rights groups and is subject to legal challenge. but today, the first of possibly hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers, moved onto a giant barge docked in dorset, to be housed while they await the outcome of asylum applications. the government says the vessel, which can accomodate up to 500 men, will be better value than hotels costing £6 million a day. but concerns have been raised about the possible impact on local services, and campaigners have called it a sha
we start here in the uk where the government is once again under scrutiny over its decision to house asylum seekers on a barge off the south coast of england. the first men to be housed on the vessel called the bibby stockholm began arriving on board today. ministers hope that up to 500 will follow, to await decisions on their asylum applications. the government says it ll help reduce the costs of housing migrants in hotels and today new figures showed that a record number of asylum seekers more than 50,000 were in so called contingency accommodation . but campaigners have raised concerns about the conditions on the barge and it s believed that some asylum seekers have had their transfers cancelled after legal interventions. protestors gathered close to the barge in dorset. this was what they had to say a little earlier: i m against the barge, i think it s extremely dangerous, as has been proved by the fire brigade. i don t think they should be on the barge.
ministers want to move hundreds more on to the bibby stockholm this week, but about 20 have refused to go. speaking on bbc breakfast, the justice secretary alex chalk accepted there were legal challenges ahead for those who refuse to go on board. the position as they have made illegal objections to that process will need to go through its normal course, through our independent courts. we are very clear that if people don t have a right to be in the uk, that it is no longer sustainable for the british people to be spending £6 million a day on up to be spending £6 million a day on up to fourstar to be spending £6 million a day on up to four star accommodation, so of course we will be fair to people and ensure they are put up an appropriate accommodation which is safe and clean and decent and so on but we also have to be fair to the british people as well, and that means ensuring where there are alternatives to expensive hotel accommodation, be it a part of a disused army bas