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Bibby Stockholm: Leonard Farruku's family 'can't afford' to repatriate body, says sister

A GoFundMe page set up to raise 拢10,000 to return Mr Farruku's remains to Albania, had passed 拢1,100 by Tuesday afternoon.

Leonard Farruku, an Albanian asylum seeker, died on the Bibby Stockholm barge last month
Image: Leonard Farruku, an Albanian asylum seeker, died on the Bibby Stockholm barge last month
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The family of an asylum seeker who died on the Bibby Stockholm "can't afford" to repatriate his body, the dead man's sister has said, and it means they are facing a "double tragedy".

Albanian migrant Leonard Farruku was found unresponsive on board the accommodation barge at Portland Port in Dorset on 12 December.

The 27-year-old died as a result of "compression of the neck", caused by "suspension by ligature", a coroner said at the opening of an inquest last month, and there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

A tug boat passes the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge at Portland Port in Dorset, which will house up to 500 people. The Home Office have said around 50 asylum seekers would board the Bibby Stockholm, with the numbers rising to its maximum capacity over the coming months, despite safety concerns raised by some of the county's Conservative MPs and locals. Picture date: Thursday August 3, 2023.
Image: The Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge at Portland Port in Dorset

Mr Farruku's family have now set up a GoFundMe page to raise £10,000 to return his remains, currently being held in a morgue in Dorset.

By Tuesday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than £1,100.

Mr Farruku's sister, Jola Dushku - speaking to the Press Association through a friend - said: "It was a tragedy we lost a brother in such circumstances but we are now facing a double tragedy with not being able to have his body back home to have the funeral ceremony.

Flowers are left at the entrance at Portland Port in Dorset, following the death of an asylum seeker on board the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge. Police were called to reports of a "sudden death" of a man living on the giant vessel early on Tuesday morning. Picture date: Tuesday December 12, 2023.
Image: Flowers are left at the entrance at Portland Port in Dorset

"We don't know how long it will take for the money to be raised."

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In a statement on the fundraising page, she said: "Our brother Leonard Farruku's life ended unimaginably for all of us while in the UK.

"As it has been reported widely in the UK media, Leonard died inside the Bibby Stockholm barge where the Home Office is accommodating people.

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"An inquest has been opened into the circumstances of his death. Leonard's body has been in the Dorset morgue since his death on December 12, 2023.

"We kindly ask for help to raise funds to have Leonard's body returned from the UK back home to Albania to rest in peace.

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"With thanks and appreciation. Jola, Leonard's sister."

Home Secretary James Cleverly has promised Mr Farruku's sudden death would be "fully" investigated.

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PM defends Bibby Stockholm聽

An impact assessment, which found the policy of housing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge discriminated on the grounds of age and sex, was deleted from the government's website last month, two days after being published.

On Tuesday, Rishi Sunak was forced to defend his claim that ministers had cleared the legacy backlog of asylum claims, despite the government's own data showing that 4,537 remain.