The British government announced Wednesday that it will host nearly 500 asylum seekers on a 222-cabin vessel anchored off the coast of Dorset (southern England) for at least 18 months.

Bibby Stockholm is a three-story barge built in 1976, which was used by the Dutch two decades ago to accommodate immigrants.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the decision would stop small boats coming to the UK and the Home Office said it would reduce spending and improve the management of accommodation for migrants.

Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Immigration, said in a statement: “We will not place the interests of illegal immigrants above those of British citizens who have chosen us to serve them.”

“We must use alternative accommodation options, as our European neighbors are doing, including this use of barges and ferries, to save British taxpayers money and avoid making the UK a magnet for European asylum buyers,” he added.

Amnesty International called on the government to step down

This move caused controversy among the opposition. Several non-governmental organizations and local entities are considering taking legal action to prevent it.

Amnesty International (AI) UK Director for Refugee and Migrant Rights, Steve Valdez-Symonds, has called on London to step down.

“Keeping hundreds of people confined to isolated barges is nothing more than a continuation of the political theater created by the government to hide serious mismanagement of the asylum system,” Valdez-Symonds said in a statement.