A 23-year-old asylum seeker from Nigeria tried to harm himself in a hotel parking lot in Essex after learning he would be moved to the Bibby Stockholm barge, as reported by the UK Guardia
n on October 29, 2023.
The Bibby Stockholm is a barge without an engine used for housing and is docked in the port of Portland, Dorset. In 2023, the UK government decided to use it as housing for asylum seekers.
The Nigerian man was taken to the hospital and put on life support on October 26, 2023, after finding out about his transfer. He had returned to a hotel where the Home Office accommodates asylum seekers at around 6 pm.
He saw his hotel room number listed on a whiteboard in the hotel reception as one of those due to be moved to the barge on October 31. Upon seeing this, he attempted to harm himself but was found by another asylum seeker in distress.
He was airlifted to Colchester General Hospital and remains in a serious condition.
Previously, conditions on the Bibby Stockholm had led to suicide attempts and the evacuation of asylum seekers due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria.
The Nigerian man came to the UK as an unaccompanied child seeking asylum and lived in foster care until he turned 18. The charity Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Migrant Action (Rama) is supporting him and others in the hotel and other accommodations in Essex.
There have been two recent deaths by suicide among asylum seekers in hotels, according to The Guardian.
Rama reports that eight asylum seekers are scheduled to board the barge on Tuesday. Many residents at the hotel have self-harm wounds, and some have gone on hunger strikes due to poor food quality.
The hotel is set to close as part of the immigration minister's plan to shut down 50 hotels by the end of January. Asylum seekers are upset about the closure.
Nicola David of One Life To Live, an organization campaigning against inadequate asylum seeker accommodation, expressed concerns about the Bibby Stockholm and called this incident preventable.
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized their commitment to the health and well-being of asylum seekers, offering support for understanding accommodation changes and addressing mental health and trauma issues.
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