The United Kingdom's approach to asylum seekers arriving by small boats is under intense scrutiny, marked by controversial policies such as the “one in, one out” scheme and the use of accommodation like the now-scrapped Bibby Stockholm barge. These measures have ignited widespread criticism from human rights organizations, legal experts, and asylum seekers themselves, who describe conditions of arbitrary detention, mental distress, and a profound sense of injustice.

The “one in, one out” scheme, introduced by the government to deter irregular crossings, involves the detention and forced removal of small boat arrivals to France. This policy aims to swap uninvited arrivals in the UK for asylum seekers in northern France who have received permission to travel legally to the UK. However, its effectiveness in deterring crossings has been questioned, with thousands more people crossing the Channel since the scheme's inception on August 6.

Asylum seekers detained under this scheme describe a harrowing experience. Fessahaye, an Eritrean who fled military conscription and endured torture in Libya before reaching the UK, speaks of being unable to eat or sleep, locked up for over a month at Brook House immigration removal centre. He and others, held at Brook House and Harmondsworth near Gatwick and Heathrow airports, frantically search for legal representation to avoid deportation to France. Abdul, a detainee from Afghanistan, highlights the apparent randomness of detention, stating, “It seems it is just a matter of luck whether the Home Office locks you up or sets you free.” This perceived arbitrariness has even led to hunger strikes among detainees protesting their confinement.

The Home Office's communication with detainees has been described as cold and unhelpful, often limited to one-page removal directions. While some lawyers have successfully challenged these notices, many asylum seekers struggle to find legal aid. An official Q&A leaflet for detainees suggests applying for asylum in France upon return and mentions “financial assistance” for those who agree to return to their home countries – an option many consider a “death sentence.”

NGOs assisting immigration detainees report that those affected come from various conflict zones, including Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Libya. Many are survivors of torture, trafficking, sexual abuse, and slavery, with clinicians diagnosing high levels of PTSD and suicidal thoughts. Concerns also arose when an estimated 10 lone children arriving on small boats were wrongly detained before being released. Despite France being considered a safe country, many asylum seekers fear returning due to past experiences of beatings and teargas from French police, compounded by recent threats from UK far-right figures visiting northern France.

Adding to the controversy, the Home Office has been using scheduled Air France flights for these deportations, alongside regular passengers. This has prompted organizations like the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and L’Auberge des Migrants to urge Air France to cease its involvement, decrying the policy as a “cynical trade in human lives” that transforms the right to asylum into a lottery.

Further compounding the human toll of the UK's asylum policies is the case of Leonard Farruku, an Albanian asylum seeker who died on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland Port on December 12, 2023. An inquest into his death heard that he had been transferred to the barge from a hotel on November 3, despite his family's concerns about his mental state. His sister, Marsida Keci, expressed their many unanswered questions, particularly regarding why a man “whose mental state was clearly not right” was moved to such accommodation.

Farruku, described as a kind, talented, and ambitious musician, suffered deeply after the deaths of his parents. Although he saw a psychologist, his sisters noted he didn't fully engage. They lost contact with him in August 2023, learning only during the inquest that he had been moved to the Bibby Stockholm and that information about his permission to work, granted by the Home Office, was never communicated to him on the barge. The cause of his death was determined to be compression to the neck and suspension by ligature, with the pathology report suggesting he had been dead for some time before discovery.

The Bibby Stockholm itself was a contentious site, eventually scrapped by the government after numerous issues. It was evacuated once due to legionella bacteria, and claims of bedbugs and rotten food were rampant. Despite its problematic history, the government is reportedly still considering barges, along with disused holiday camps, former student accommodations, and military bases, as future asylum accommodation. These events underscore the deep humanitarian and ethical challenges embedded within the UK's current immigration and asylum framework.