Bibby Stockholm left Falmouth in Cornwall on Monday (Image: PA)
The Bibby Stockholm migrant barge has arrived in Dorset. The barge - which will house 500 asylum seekers - departed on Monday morning from Falmouth, Cornwall, a month behind schedule. The vessel will be used as part of Rishi Sunak's bid to "stop the boats" of migrants coming to Britain over the English Channel. Its arrival comes hours after the Illegal Migration Bill passed through the House of Lords.
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Dorset Police at Portland Port where protesters rallied against the barge's arrival this morning (Image: PA)
Bibby Stockholm was pulled by a tug into Dorset's Portland Port on Tuesday morning after a night of drama in the Houses of Parliament.
Locals in Dorset have raised concerns about the Portland site being used to house asylum seekers. But Downing Street defended the use of barges to house migrants, insisting it is a cheaper alternative to housing them in hotels.
The first asylum seekers are expected to board the Bibby Stockholm later this month.
The Government saw off five further changes being sought by the unelected House of Lords to the Illegal Migration Bill, including modern slavery protections and child detention limits.
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The Bibby Stockholm will house 500 asylum seekers (Image: Sky News)
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Justin Welby dropped his demand for a fresh statement amid parliamentary ping-pong (Image: Getty)
At least one other vote was ditched in the face of the Government's victories.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who has been a strong critic of the Bill, also dropped his demand for a statement on tackling the refugee problem and human trafficking to the UK, after a similar proposal was rejected by MPs.
The end of the stand-off between the Lords and MPs during so-called ping-pong - where legislation is batted between the Lords and Commons until an agreement is reached - paves the way for the Bill to receive royal assent.
The Migration Bill is a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's bid to deter people from making Channel crossings.
It will prevent people from claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means.
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READ MORE Bibby Stockholm boat leaves harbour for Dorset to house 500 migrants
The legislation is designed to ensure detained migrants are quickly removed, either from their home country or a third country such as Rwanda.
But the Bill encountered fierce opposition in the House of Lords, which was accused of trying to "drive a coach and horses" through the plans.
The Government faced claims of wanting to give a "punishment beating" to peers for challenging the plans.
Ministers had urged the Lords to allow the Bill to become law after signalling no further concessions were planned. MPs continued to overturn revisions previously made by the upper chamber.
READ MORE Bibby Stockholm boat leaves harbour for Dorset to house 500 migrants
The legislation is designed to ensure detained migrants are quickly removed, either from their home country or a third country such as Rwanda.
But the Bill encountered fierce opposition in the House of Lords, which was accused of trying to "drive a coach and horses" through the plans.
The Government faced claims of wanting to give a "punishment beating" to peers for challenging the plans.
Ministers had urged the Lords to allow the Bill to become law after signalling no further concessions were planned. MPs continued to overturn revisions previously made by the upper chamber.
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel (Image: PA)
The barge is part of Rishi Sunak's efforts to 'stop the boats' crossing the channel (Image: Getty)
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Home Office minister Lord Murray of Blidworth said the number of small boat arrivals had "overwhelmed" the UK's asylum system and was costing taxpayers ￡6 million a day to provide accommodation.
He told peers: "With over 45,000 people making dangerous Channel crossings last year this is simply no longer sustainable.
"If people know there is no way for them to stay in the UK, they won't risk their lives and pay criminals thousands of pounds to arrive here illegally.
"It is therefore only right that we stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people, ultimately enabling the Government to have greater capacity to provide a safe haven for those at risk of war and persecution."
READ MORE Tory MPs slam Government for throwing doors open for foreign builders
Home Office minister Lord Murray of Blidworth said the number of small boat arrivals had "overwhelmed" the UK's asylum system and was costing taxpayers ￡6 million a day to provide accommodation.
He told peers: "With over 45,000 people making dangerous Channel crossings last year this is simply no longer sustainable.
"If people know there is no way for them to stay in the UK, they won't risk their lives and pay criminals thousands of pounds to arrive here illegally.
"It is therefore only right that we stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people, ultimately enabling the Government to have greater capacity to provide a safe haven for those at risk of war and persecution."
Over 45,000 made dangerous Channel crossings last year (Image: PA)
He urged the Lords to "respect the will of the elected House and the British people by passing this Bill".
But while he agreed on the need to stop the small boat crossings, Mr Welby said: "I fail to see how this (the Bill) does it and I have not heard anything to convince me.
"But that is the view of the other place. I agree that in the end on most things, except the most essential, that this House must give way to the other place."
He added: "The problem with the Bill is that it has not started at the right place. Where it needed to start with is... to have a level of national consensus and agreement on what the aim of our migration policy and immigration policy is in the long term."
The Bibby barge left Falmouth, Cornwall, on Monday after undergoing work to prepare it for its new role.
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