The UK’s Migrant Detention Barge

The United Kingdom has attempted a unique solution to housing asylum seekers: an off-shore barge called the Bibby Stockholm. The first 15 migrants came aboard just last week.

The barge has the capacity to hold 500 migrants. This short video from Sky News offers a look inside the facility. It would make an amazing comparative contribution to discussions of immigrant detention in the U.S.

Only a few days after opening, the Bibby Stockholm was forced to release its detainees to other facilities when legionella bacteria was discovered in the water system. There’s no word yet on when they’ll return, but the UK Health Minister has suggested it may be back in business in just a few days.

-KitJ