Why does the Tory plan to house asylum seekers on barges sound Dickensian? Because it is | Anna McKay

In a move that echoes 19th-century policy, the Home Office has announced it will house 500 male asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm, a 222-bedroom accommodation barge, off the coast of Portland in Dorset. The decision is supposed to reduce pressure on the UK’s asylum system, as the cost of housing migrants in hotels amounts to more than £6m a day. Although the government claims this action brings the UK into line with countries around…