The use of Bibby Stockholm to house illegal migrants has sparked controversy since it was first announced in summer last year.

Ministers are now under intense pressure to stop housing Channel migrants in hotel rooms.

Taxpayers are shelling out around £8-million-per-day for rooms for asylum seekers.

So the Government wants to house more migrants on the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge and in former military bases to cut costs and ease tensions in communities.

But activist groups have vowed to desperately try and prevent the Government from removing asylum seekers from taxpayer-funded hotel rooms.

An equality impact assessment conducted by the Home Office said that the policy breaks the 2010 Equality Act on two grounds.

The report published in December said the policy is "directly discriminating" in relation to age and sex and said changes might be needed.