A bus “suppressed” a protest in the UK (12 photos + 3 videos)

In order to curb illegal migration and reduce the cost of living refugees, the UK decided to resettle them on barges and former military bases. Some local residents and organizations actively protest against this, calling the barges “prisons.” Recently, environmental activists from Just Stop Oil staged a protest and blocked the path of a bus that was transporting migrants to a barge. But the protest failed.





Currently, refugee asylum seekers in the UK are housed on barges and former military bases. The government took this measure to curb illegal migration and reduce living expenses for refugees. In August, the first group of migrants was housed aboard the barge Bibby Stockholm, moored in Portland Harbor. The barge's 222 cabins can accommodate approximately 500 people. A little later, 39 migrants were evacuated from the ship due to the discovery of Legionella (a bacteria that can cause infection), but 29 of them were recently returned back.

There were also opponents of the new measures to resettle refugees on barges, and they consider this “inhumane.” Among them are environmental activists from the organization Just Stop Oil. They staged a protest on the path of a bus that was transporting previously evacuated migrants to a barge. The protesters shouted at the driver to stop and blocked the way in every possible way. A small group of activists also sat on the road.



The driver continued to move forward slowly, and when he reached those sitting on the road, he demanded that they stand up. Then activists holding a sign saying “No to prison ships!” They stood with their backs to the bus, but it continued moving anyway, pushing the crowd aside. The activist organization later published a post in which it admitted defeat - and accused the driver of "risking killing them."

“We regret to announce that we were unable to stop the transport of refugees to the floating prison. The driver drove towards the protesters, risking killing those in front,” the organization wrote on its account.



According to the leaders of the organization, with such actions they want to “demonstrate love and solidarity to all people arriving in their country.” In addition to the action near the bus, other protesters staged a rally right next to the barge, with signs saying “Welcome, refugees!” and “Barge for scrap!” Many activists believe that such treatment of people is unacceptable in a humane society.

"The barge for refugees is a terrible idea. This place is very depressing, you feel like you're in a prison there - especially with the amount of security they have to go through. The refugees themselves don't like it there: they say the barge really is like a prison, from which it's difficult to leave and where you're disconnected from society," said Candy Udwin, from Stand Up To Racism Dorset.



The UK Home Office says living conditions on the barge are absolutely safe and comfortable. Migrants are given five days' notice before they are brought on board - with each person assessed for suitability and checked against police and immigration databases. They are also fingerprinted and personal information is recorded. According to the press secretary of the Ministry, this method of accommodating migrants is convenient in many ways - in addition, there are medical facilities and food points on the barge territory. Refugees are supposedly free to move, go into the city, and “explore the culture of the country.”



However, even the refugees themselves spoke of terrible conditions and severe isolation. Nicola David, spokeswoman for the One Life To Live campaign, said the letter, signed by 39 men who previously lived on the barge, said they were "stressed and anxious". One asylum seeker even tried to commit suicide on a barge. They also complained about endless delays in repairing the barge, Legionella, faulty plumbing, and violations of fire safety regulations.





This is what the barge looks like inside:











Protest in front of a bus with migrants