First group of 15 asylum seekers board Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset

The first group of 15 asylum seekers have boarded the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset as part of government plans to save the costs of housing people in hotels.

Lawyers for one refugee charity managed to stop about 20 others being transferred, after likening the barge to a “quasi-floating prison”.

The Bibby Stockholm is moored off Portland Port in Dorset – with room for up to 500 people.

Its presence has divided local people – some calling it inhumane, others claiming it will have a detrimental impact on the community.