More than 200 asylum seekers will be moved from Bibby Stockholm to Wolverhampton

The Home Office has so far failed to confirm the numbers, but the Express & Star understands that between 200 and 300 people currently living on the controversial barge in Portland, Dorset, will be relocated to an hotel in Wolverhampton.

The Express & Star revealed yesterday that Wolverhampton and Worksop in Nottinghamshire had been selected as destinations for the asylum seeker currently housed on the boat.

The Government's contract with Bibby Marine, which owns the boat, is due to end in January, and the new Labour administration announced in July that it would not be extending the agreement.

The Home Office was asked to comment on the numbers, and was asked why Wolverhampton had been selected, but has yet to respond. The Express & Star also asked what support package the Government would be providing.

Wolverhampton Council was also asked to comment, but said all inquiries should be referred to the Home Office.

Bibby Stockholm and the ex-RAF Wethersfield base in Essex – which housed 500 single male migrants – were taken over by the previous Conservative government in an effort to reduce the number of migrants in hotels, which was said to be costing £8 million a day.

RAF Wetherfield is also due to close, although no date has yet been set.

A Home Office spokesman said: "This government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain, with thousands stuck in a backlog without their claims processed.

"We have taken immediate action to restart asylum processing which will save an estimated £7 billion for the tax payer over the next ten years, and are delivering a major uplift in returns to remove people with no right to be in the UK.

"Over the long term this will reduce our reliance on hotels and costs of accommodation.

"We remain absolutely committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers."

The Home Office is now considering opening additional asylum hotels due to fears it is running out of space to house migrants.

There is currently a backlog of almost 120,000 migrants who are still awaiting a decision on their claims.