The UK government's initiative to house asylum seekers in former military bases and on barges, including the Bibby Stockholm barge, has come under scrutiny following revelations of significant cost overruns, with expenses exceeding hotel accommodations by £46m. The National Audit Office (NAO) reported that these measures, intended as cost-saving alternatives to hotel accommodations, will actually incur higher expenses. The Home Office has faced criticism for its management of the project, including a £500,000 expenditure on new asylum barges that failed due to the inability to secure ports. Additionally, plans to convert the Dambusters' former base, RAF Scampton, into an asylum camp have been labeled wasteful, with no migrants housed despite the investment. The government initially proposed housing 2,000 asylum seekers at RAF Scampton but has since reduced the cap to 800 following local council and MP lobbying.
Everything the UK Conservative Government does goes wrong when housing asylum seekers in places like the Bibby Stockholm barge and former RAF bases is costing £46m more than hotels they are meant to replace. https://t.co/HZWaL7I9bj
The National Audit Office finds that the Home Office's plans for barges and RAF bases were even more expensive than using hotels - unrealistic & unachievable plans were badly mismanaged https://t.co/lA3gWzlLx1
UK’s plans to house asylum seekers will cost more than hotels https://t.co/flaDb5iKBc via @LucyGJWhite https://t.co/cWI7Rpyk73
Barges and RAF bases more expensive than hotels to house asylum seekers - watchdog Read more 👇 https://t.co/OklK9VGWJA
🥴🥴 Bungling Home Office officials wasted £500,000 on new asylum barges but couldn't find ports 🥴🥴 https://t.co/KAsesjXoeJ
Relocating UK asylum seekers from hotels will not save money, watchdog says https://t.co/64O0soPHgr https://t.co/vDx75JVkpT
Plans to move asylum seekers from hotels in tatters after NAO report https://t.co/jrRHyb65sl
Massive cost overruns mean UK government plans to house asylum seekers on former military bases and barges will cost even more than allowing them to remain in hotels, according to the spending watchdog https://t.co/9Dj9nioIf8
RAF Scampton: Government 'playing games' over asylum numbers https://t.co/KkezkuA99r
The government says a former RAF airbase will house a maximum of 800 migrants – down from an initial limit of 2,000 https://t.co/XXjo5TmhnZ
🔴 The Home Office has been accused of wasting tens of millions of pounds on converting the Dambusters’ former base into an asylum camp without a single migrant being housed on it https://t.co/FO3IlQFiyh
"Home Office ‘wastes millions’ converting Dambusters base into asylum camp "Tory councillors accuse ministers of lying as RAF Scampton becomes ‘white elephant’ without a single migrant:" https://t.co/xOjLgmNw3q
Scampton asylum seekers to be capped by Home Office https://t.co/TPbmKui9xL
'The Home Office has decided that 2000 migrants is just far too many.' @willhollis_tv gives updates on the Government's decision to lower the capacity of migrants being housed at RAF Scampton to 800. https://t.co/Cxu7leSDcy
While the Government is obsessing with political gimmicks, they are repeatedly failing to tackle the asylum backlog or properly support local areas that are hosting asylum seekers in temporary accommodation. https://t.co/cTCcobkXE0
RAF Scampton: Home Office slashes plans to house 2,000 asylum seeker in airbase https://t.co/4IXuIGALOT
After lobbying by council and @EdwardLeighMP the Home Office announced on Monday that the number of migrants to be housed on the site will be capped at 800, down from the original plan for 2,000. https://t.co/4QPMgUfunD
The Home Office has been accused of wasting tens of millions of pounds on converting the Dambusters’ former base into an asylum camp without a single migrant being housed on it. @JamesCleverly @VotePursglove @Michael4MDNP @DianaJohnsonMP https://t.co/FFE523kQ6p https://t.co/KhweosCVXL
EXCL: The government says it caps the profits of asylum seeker accomidation providers. But amid record profit rises for these firms, it's refusing to tell charities or MPs what that cap is, or if it has ever been triggered. Me for @politicshome https://t.co/QuJzkHxhI4
Home Office Under Pressure To Disclose If Asylum Seeker Housing Profit Cap Has Been Triggered https://t.co/s3XzDD3yZb
Home Office under pressure to disclose if asylum seeker housing profit cap has been triggered https://t.co/gHp86gTGHQ
The British taxpayer will be forced to spend an extra £100 billion over the next six years to house millions of migrants, but the government can't find the money to provide a home for a 77-year-old English widow. The absolute state of it. https://t.co/TKVhOwqm4A https://t.co/VOyiZbPWmP