UK moves some asylum seekers to a barge on southern coast

Some officials are aboard the Bibby Stockholm barge at Portland, near Poole, Britain, August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville

PORTLAND, England (Reuters) -Britain began moving some migrants on to a large residential barge on its southern coast on Monday, as part of plans to save money and remove what the government called the "pull" of hotels for those arriving in small boats.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cracking down on illegal migration a major priority ahead of a national election expected next year, pitching his Conservatives as being tougher on the issue than the opposition Labour Party, which enjoys a strong lead in opinion polls.