ALL AT SEA

Lawyers block transfer to barge | Labour Tories are flailing around

- JOHN STEVENS, BEN GLAZE, DAN WARBURTON

AFTER weeks of delays, at 10.25am yesterday a mini-bus with blackedout windows drove into the port, carrying the first refugees to the Bibby Stockholm barge.

But, in one of a string of blunders revealing the chaos at the heart of Tory policy, refugee charity Care4Calais said around 20 asylum seekers had their transfers to the vessel "cancelled" after their lawyers challenged the decisions.

A government source reacted by alleging "Labour-linked charities and lawyers" were preventing the transfer of "illegal migrants" from pricey hotels.

The Home Office last night admitted just 15 asylum seekers were on the barge. Hours before the men had arrived, hapless Home Office Minister Sarah Dines was claiming that up to 500 people could join the vessel by the end of this week. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Yes, quite possibly, it will be 500. We are hoping.

Just a few hours later, Downing Street admitted the figure would be nowhere near 500, as arrivals would be staggered over the coming weeks.

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The Government also announced it wanted to revive a plan to fly asylum seekers 4,000 miles to Ascension Island.