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Sadiq Khan vows to block London asylum barge plans

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visits his old school, Fircroft Primary School in Tooting Bec, south London, to announce an emergency scheme around free school meals. Picture date: Monday February 20, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS SchoolMeals. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire - James Manning/PA Wire
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visits his old school, Fircroft Primary School in Tooting Bec, south London, to announce an emergency scheme around free school meals. Picture date: Monday February 20, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS SchoolMeals. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire - James Manning/PA Wire

Sadiq Khan has vowed to block plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers on a barge on the docks next to London City Airport’s runway.

The London mayor and Metropolitan Police are understood to be among a coalition of public and private sector organisations opposing the Home Secretary’s plans on safety grounds, The Telegraph can disclose.

Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, has selected east London’s Royal Docks as one of four potential locations to house immigrants ahead of an expected influx of people arriving in small boats this summer.

Mr Khan said: “We were recently made aware of Home Office proposals to use the Royal Docks as a location for a barge to accommodate people seeking asylum in the UK.

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“I oppose these plans in the strongest possible terms. I am proud of London’s history of providing sanctuary for those seeking refuge, and I am concerned that vulnerable people fleeing appalling circumstances would not have access to the support they need, with their safety, health and wellbeing being put at serious risk.”

The Metropolitan Police are understood to have also concluded that the plans constitute a safety threat to those on the barge. A spokesman for the force declined to comment.

The Royal Docks are managed on a day-to-day basis by Royal Docks Management Authority Limited (RoDMA), an arms-length body that is owned by the Greater London Authority which is headed up by MR

Newham Council and local businesses such as the ExCel centre and London City Airport.

A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman speaking to members of Parliament during a statement and updates on the Illegal Migration Bill in the House of Commons, in London, on June 5, 2023. (Photo by JESSICA TAYLOR / UK PARLIAMENT / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO USE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, SATIRICAL, ADVERTISING PURPOSES - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / Jessica Taylor /UK Parliament" (Photo by JESSICA TAYLOR/UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Images) - JESSICA TAYLOR/UK PARLIAMENT/AFP

Sources said that RoDMA is expected to confirm its opposition to the asylum barge in the coming weeks after taking soundings from its owners. It will be agreed at an upcoming board meeting before a formal rejection is issued to the Home Office.

It is understood that the Home Office could still press ahead without the blessing of the London mayor and the Royal Docks authority – but this would likely require a change of law.

If Ms Braverman were to insist on selecting the Royal Docks, the asylum seekers would be moored on the barge within a stone’s throw of the airport’s runway. Flights begin at 6.30am and run until 10.30pm on weekdays, 6.30am to 1pm on Saturday, and 12.30pm to 10.30pm on Sundays.

The airport is consulting on extending operating hours. It is currently restricted to handling up to 6.5 million passengers and 111,000 flights annually.

Rishi Sunak confirmed on Monday that the UK had acquired two more barges on which to house asylum seekers as part of plans to crack down on illegal immigration. They are reportedly to be moored in Liverpool and near Middlesbrough.

In addition to the Royal Docks, the Home Office has also identified Newcastle, Harwich and Felixstowe as locations to house migrants.

The Prime Minister has claimed that an immigration crackdown is “starting to work” as figures revealed a 20pc fall in the number of asylum seekers making the crossing compared with last year.

But the use of barges has been criticised by members of Mr Sunak’s own party. Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, attacked the “quasi-prison” conditions and Lee Anderson, Conservative party deputy chairman said using barges as well as forcing asylum seekers to share rooms was “not the answer”.

Mr Khan added: “The Government’s approach to asylum seekers is cruel and unworkable, and will be made worse by the illegal migration bill.

“Instead councils and relevant partners need to retain the legal powers and the funding to support asylum seekers humanely and with dignity. We all have a responsibility to help those escaping oppression and violence, and ministers need to completely rethink their plans as a matter of urgency.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for the British taxpayer than expensive hotels.

“This is why we continue to source new alternative sites and vessels to accommodate migrants, which are more manageable for communities, as our European neighbours are doing.

“We understand the concerns of local communities and will work closely with councils and key partners to manage the impact of using these sites, including liaising with local police to make sure appropriate arrangements are in place.”