Asylum seekers could potentially return to the migrant barge, Bibby Stockholm, within a matter of weeks, according to the UK's immigration minister, Robert Jenrick.

This announcement comes after the temporary removal of 39 men from the barge, which was berthed in Portland Port, Dorset, following the discovery of Legionella bacteria traces.

The individuals were temporarily relocated to a hotel while health tests were conducted on the vessel's water system. Minister Robert Jenrick assured the UK Parliament that the precautionary removal was deeply regrettable but necessary. He also mentioned that they expected "definitive answers" from the ongoing tests very soon.

Assuming the results show no signs of Legionella or other health concerns, the migrants will be allowed back onto the barge. The minister anticipates this process could take place within the coming weeks.

Last month, some of the affected individuals penned an open letter expressing their concerns, citing shock and fear over the discovery of Legionella. They also reported feelings of isolation and loneliness since their temporary relocation.

The Bibby Stockholm barge is a part of the UK government's initiative to reduce the cost of housing asylum seekers and discourage risky Channel crossings by migrants. The Home Office had previously revealed that there were approximately 51,000 asylum seekers residing in hotels across the UK, incurring a daily cost of £6 million to taxpayers.

The government's plan is to accommodate around 500 men on this vessel while they await the outcomes of their asylum applications. The 222-room, three-story barge, chartered for 18 months, arrived in July and had previously been used to house homeless individuals and asylum seekers in Germany and the Netherlands.

The Home Office has defended the use of such vessels as a more cost-effective and manageable alternative to housing asylum seekers in hotels. However, Amnesty International criticized the Bibby Stockholm, likening it to "prison hulks from the Victorian era" and deeming it an inappropriate means of housing people who have fled terror, conflict, and persecution. Photo by Ashley Smith, Wikimedia commons.