The leader of Dorset Council has embraced the departure of the Bibby Stockholm barge which was used to house asylum seekers.
The vessel was towed away from Portland yesterday, having been empty since late last year.
After initially accommodating people in August 2023, the four hundred inhabitants were moved out in November.
Nick Ireland, the leader of Dorset Council, said: “We tried to mitigate the impacts on residents and I think we did that pretty well. In the end, its gone now and that’s the good news.”
Throughout its docking, a number of protests were held regarding the speed of processing on the barge – and the safety of its inhabitants.
Nick Ireland said: “We’ve worked with our colleagues, we worked with the NHS and we’ve worked with the police to make it work.”
He referenced his pride in how the Portland community had handled the barge.
“There was noise but many people stood up and welcomed these people into our community. They didn’t have any choice – they were sent here – and I think we did them proud.”
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