The Great British Tradition: Bibby Lines, Slavery, and conservatism
Written August 12th 2023 - published here in response to the death of one of Bibby Stockholm’s inmates
Britain's violent colonial history can, to some, seem distant. However, its legacy parasitically prospers in the United Kingdom's politics and industry. A truth which was again made clear when the Conservative government contracted Bibby Lines to house migrants at sea.
Bibby Lines' so-called "accommodation barge" was designed to house 222 individuals but has been adapted to hold more than 500. The government has claimed that the barge "offer[s] better value for money for taxpayers than hotels".
Clearly, no reasonable decent-minded individual could make an ethical or moral claim in support of the floating incarceration of economically, politically, or socially motivated migrants. Therefore, the UK government turns to economic misdirection.
And it is misdirection because the barge would save less than £10 daily per person. A report entitled "Bibby Stockholm – At What Cost?" from the NGOs Reclaim the Seas and One Life to Live stated that at most the Home Office can save £9.28 a person a day if they substitute hotels for barges.
Bibby lines are part of a long and brutal British tradition of profiting from the colonial impoverishment and misery of the global south. Slaver, John Bibby, founded the company in 1807 using capital gained in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. He trafficked 767 individuals, originally from Africa to the American continent in 1805 and 1806 to support the European colonial project and his future business venture, Bibby Lines.
This information cannot be found on the company website's official history.
John Bibby ran his first of three-slave voyages in 1805, all found on the Slave Voyages database. A ship he owned called Harmonie was used to transport 250 enslaved people, originally from West Africa and St Helena, out of Liverpool and onto Guyana (ID# 81732). A year later, the Eagle transported 264 enslaved African people (ID# 81106).
Bibby's, the Sally, was the last of his three ships to travel slaves (ID# 83481). 273 individuals were sent from Liverpool to Barbados, where Bibby Stockholm was first flagged in 1976.
Bibby Stockholm began life in Barbados, the same island where John Bibby acquired the start-up capital to establish Bibby Lines; capital gained through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The Conservative government's decision to hire Bibby Lines continues a Great British tradition, cruelty in the name of profit.
Housing ‘undesirables’ aboard this vessel is another tradition the Conservative government are keen to maintain. From 1994 to 1998, the barge accommodated the unhoused in Germany, including some asylum seekers. In 2005 the Netherlands used Bibby Stockholm to detain asylum seekers, and in 2008, one died of a heart attack. The death occurred because of repeated failures to provide adequate healthcare on the vessel.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has stated that the British government has "to undertake a number of inspections and other measures to make sure that these vessels – and [Bibby Stockholm] in particular – [are] suitable and ready." Assumedly, Dowden is aware of its record as an unfit living quarter for migrants. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he added: "I'm confident that in the coming weeks, we will have people on those barges."
Regardless of whether they are genuinely suitable or, as it turns out, not.
As of the 11th of August, the first group of migrants to be housed on Bibby Stockholm have been moved after Legionella bacteria, which can cause Legionnaires disease, was discovered on the barge. Most commonly found in standing and stagnant water, the presence of this microbe suggests that Bibby Stockholm’s is not “suitable and ready”.
Legionnaires' is a lung infection caused by contaminated water, indicating that inadequate safety checks were undertaken. The infection can lead to rapidly fatal pneumonia. Roughly 1 in 10 individuals with the disease die from complications. Some survivors develop pulmonary fibrosis, leading to functional impairment or death. Recovery can be slow, with lingering side effects.
On the 10th of August the government was advised by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to remove people on board due to the presence of Legionella. However, migrants remained on Bibby Stockholm over 24 hours later. The UK Government has made no announcement that those exposed have been tested.
In fact, more transfers on to the barge were attempted after UKHSA made clear that all those on the vessel should be removed. The refugees were not told about the danger and the staff and contractors have also been exposed. On the evening of the 11th, the decision was made to remove those onboard, more than a day after the bacteria’s presence was made known to the government.
Additionally, the Fire Brigades Union has called the boat a "potential deathtrap" over concerns regarding overcrowding and access to fire exits. Furthermore, there has been significant public and political opposition to Bibby Stockholm in Portland, Dorset - where the vessel has been moved from its dry dock in Falmouth, Cornwall. Local councillors and residents have staged protests, and Conservative MP for South Dorset Richard Drax has called on the government to remove the barge.
More than 80 Stand Up to Racism activists, trade unionists, and church and community groups gathered at Portland Port and marched to Portland Community Hospital. The "No to the Barge" group also organised a separate march, who say that the plan has "not adequately considered the harmful effects on all the services of our treasured seaside communities".
The Home Office has stated that those on-board Bibby Stockholm would be "non-detained" with no curfew, although they would have to comply with the port's security standards. Yet they have significantly increased capacity aboard whilst not supporting or improving available support and services. Unnecessary and cruel deaths could occur in the coming months aboard Bibby Stockholm, especially since the discovery of Legionella’s onboard.
Britain's Conservative government is not offering enough financial or practical aid to support the housing of migrants on “accommodation barges”. The Home Office has stated that they "are involving the local voluntary sector to organise activities that keep those being accommodated engaged”.
The non-profit sector is being utilised to support an unjust and non-functional situation created by the government, which the government does not consider, support, or finance adequately.
Bibby Lines are the only stakeholder profiting from the Conservative Party's injustice and cruelty. The company states on its website that one of its "values" is to "Do The Right Thing". They claim that this requires Bibby Lines to "provid[e] a quality and safe service, acting responsibly for our people, customers and the communities in which we work."
Their practice has proven this false. The value which best represents their company is the value of profit, profit in spite of people, customers and communities.
Like a mongrel chasing its tail, tradition consumes conservative politics and keeps Bibby Lines a-float.
Image generated using AI
