Description
Since the 2015 refugee crisis, annual asylum applications have surged from 28,000 to 80,000 in 2023 (Home Office, 2023), a rise which has been framed as an economic and governance challenge (Walsh and Sumption, 2024). Although this framing process is not new, it has recently resulted in a clear politicisation of asylum, characterised by debates over resource pressures, border control, and integration; exclusionary governmental practices; a reduced asylum infrastructure; rising anti-asylum sentiment; and a hostile environment (Benwell et al., 2023; Goodfellow, 2019). Reforming asylum accommodation has been central to these exclusionary practices, including the shift from hotels to alternative housing (Geiger, 2024). The Bibby Stockholm asylum barge, a repurposed worker barge moored at Portland Port since July 2023, symbolises this shift. The barge’s deployment has drawn criticism and raised important questions about the ethics and implications of asylum accommodation policies (itvNews, 2023).
The proposed article proposes to amplify marginalised voices in the UK asylum landscape, using the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge as a unique case study. While migration studies have produced extensive research, few have critically examined how asylum seekers navigate the complexities of home-making in liminal spaces. This article breaks new ground by exploring everyday practices of belonging aboard the barge, amidst polarised public opinion and media portrayals. By capturing narratives from occupants, employees, local communities, and policymakers, it reshapes ontological discussions on home-making, displacement, and asylum. Positioning the barge as a pivotal moment in asylum practices, this article examines its layered meanings and broader implications. This unexplored case study captures the barge’s experimental and ephemeral nature, exploring its effects on both residents and surrounding communities. By addressing prevailing narratives that dehumanise asylum seekers, it critically analyses what it means to call a floating barge 'Home.'
