CAMPAIGNERS welcomed the government’s announcement today that the Bibby Stockholm barge will be shut down, and called for other closures to follow.

The Home Office announced that the use of the vessel in Dorset, which houses around 400 asylum-seekers, will end when the contract finishes in January 2025.

Labour said that controversial accommodation will no longer be needed as it pushes forward with plans to clear the backlog of asylum claims and save £7.7 billion in the area over the next 10 years.