English town united in anger over arrival of asylum seeker barge
English town united in anger over arrival of asylum seeker barge

Residents of Portland, in southwest England, express their anger and concern at the arrival of a barge which will house 500 asylum seekers in the next few months.

"When the barge got announced I was really shocked" says Heather, a member of the group 'Stand Up To Racism', "I was really upset".

The 93-metre Bibby Stockholm is part of the UK government's hardened plan to tackle illegal channel crossings, with the barge intended to act as a deterrent and mark a move away from more costly forms of accommodating migrants.

"I think it's important for locals to show that we welcome refugees" says another Portland resident, Richard Hatfield.