Sweden’s migration agency aims to convert the 1,790-passenger Ocean Gala luxury cruise ship into an asylum centre for migrants The ship, formerly known as ‘MS Island Escape’, has served for decades the cruising holidays of the Caribbean, Bahamas and the Mediterranean.

Sweden’s migration agency aims to convert the 1,790-passenger Ocean Gala luxury cruise ship into an asylum centre for migrants
The ship, formerly known as ‘MS Island Escape’, has served for decades the cruising holidays of the Caribbean, Bahamas and the Mediterranean.

According to the statement of the accommodation chief at Sweden’s Migration Agency, officials want to sign agreement with charter company US Shipmanagers, bring the Ocean Gala to the Baltic sea in Harnosand port and use it to accommodate refugees.

“I am extremely pleased. This means that we are prepared, so that we’re not going to end up in a situation where we can’t offer a roof over people’s heads,” Willis Åberg declared for the Aftonbladet newspaper, as in the coming months thousands of Syrian refugees are expected to seek asylum away from their homes.

But the SMA faced local politicians’ resistance regarding their plan to berth the ship at of Harnosand.

“A ship cannot berth as an accommodation facility for one year at the dock unless a building permit has been granted and an environmental assessment done. Rarely has the municipal and county administrative authority felt as justified as in this case,” declared Fred Nilsson, chairman of the local municipal council.

Consequently, the contract will be annulled if a suitable harbour will not be found in the next two months.

SOURCE: TravelWires PR