Bibby Stockholm: Doncaster man who lived on migrant barge quit job over 'horrible' conditions

The barge - formerly a prison - has since been repurposed as a floating home for asylum seekers. It is currently located in Portland Port, Dorset.

Management consultant Howard Russell lived on the barge while working on an oil and gas project in Shetland Isles – but quit the job because conditions on board were so bad and that the atmosphere onboard had an effect on his mental health.

The 67-year-old lived in the barge for three weeks in 2013 – and said conditions left him unable to sleep or function at work.

He said: “Staying there had an effect on my mental health.

“I couldn't function at work. It was difficult with the lack of sleep and segregation feeling of it.

'It was just horrible - no one was happy. There was no atmosphere. It was dead, especially when you found out it was previously used as a prison.

“The main problem was the barge didn't have its own power so there were huge generators outside which were very noisy, and it was very difficult to sleep at night.

“My sympathies are with the asylum applicants. I don't know how many hundreds are on there but I just don't think it would work.

“I just remember I walked out of the job and went straight to the local airport and went home.”

At the time, the Bibby Stockholm was based in Lerwick and being used to house contractors working on a gas plant project.

He says most of the contractors living on the boat were engineers and estimates around 50 people were staying on the boat at the time.

It has space for up to 222 people, according to information online.

But he says that despite the relatively small number of people living onboard, the conditions still felt cramped.

“It seemed OK at first, all the rooms were self-contained and still had a peephole in the door which was a bit off-putting from when it was used as prison,” said Howard.

“The seating area in the canteen was very packed, it was fixed tables with benches so inevitably you would be jammed up very close to other people which was not pleasant.

'It's just got a hemmed in type feeling, it's purely industrial and I seem to remember it was quite cold.”

The Bibby Stockholm has been used for refugees since last August as MPs sought to find alternatives to hotel accommodation for those waiting for decisions on their applications.

But the vessel has been plagued with issues - including an outbreak of Legionella bacteria onboard - and in December, police confirmed one of the people onboard had died.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The health and welfare of asylum seekers on board the Bibby Stockholm is of the utmost priority, and we constantly work to ensure the needs and vulnerabilities of those residing on the vessel are identified and met.

“There are rigorous safeguarding processes in place on the barge. Residents have access to health and social care services, including mental health support. If concerns are raised about any aspect of the service delivered, we work with the provider to ensure these are swiftly addressed, and Migrant Help 24/7 is also available every day of the year.”