The relatives of an individual who is believed to have committed suicide on the contentious Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, state that they have resorted to using crowdfunding to repatriate him to Albania for his funeral.
On December 12th, Leonard Farruku, 27, was discovered unconscious on the ship that was chartered by the Home Office to house a maximum of 500 asylum seekers at Portland Port in Dorset.
Jola Dushku, the sister of the deceased, expressed her grief over losing her brother in such unfortunate circumstances. She also shared that not being able to bring his body home for a proper funeral is an additional tragedy to their family.
Dushku expressed her belief that if her brother had not been placed on the barge, he would still be alive today. She stated, “Had my brother not been put in that boat, he would have had a normal and peaceful life ahead of him. This tragic event could have been avoided if he had not been placed there.”
At the conclusion of a short initial investigation at the end of the previous year, the chief coroner, Rachael Griffin, stated that there were no indications of any questionable conditions surrounding the passing and requested written statements from the Home Office and other governing bodies within a six-week period.
A number of individuals on the barge, which is currently docked in Portland, Dorset, reported that Farruku had displayed signs of distress just before his death. Witnesses mentioned that he was yelling and hitting the wall of his cabin.
Following Farruku’s passing, a group of over 60 charitable organizations, including Refugee Action, Refugee Council, Care4Calais, and Refugees at Home, wrote a letter to the Guardian urging for the immediate shutdown of the Bibby Stockholm.
Deborah Coles, director of the charity Inquest, which supports families who have lost loved ones in state-related deaths, raised concerns about the case. She said: “The Home Office was warned about the negative impact the barge would have on the mental and physical health of those placed on it but has continued to accommodate people there. Inquest asked the Home Office to contribute to the cost of repatriating Leonard’s body but officials refused. That is appalling, given that he was in the care of the Home Office at the time of his death. This decision lacks humanity.”
Farruku’s family was not aware of any mental health problems before he was placed on the barge. They are demanding a thorough investigation into the events surrounding his passing.
On December 28th of last year, they created a crowdfunding page and included the following message in their plea for donations: “Our brother Leonard Farruku tragically passed away while in the UK, leaving us all in shock…Leonard’s body has been held at the Dorset morgue since he died on December 12th, 2023. We are appealing for assistance in raising funds to bring Leonard’s body back home to Albania, where he can rest in peace.”
A representative from the Home Office stated: “This was a devastating event and our sympathies are with all those impacted. The well-being of those under our care is our top priority and we take this duty very seriously.”
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For those in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be reached for free at 116 123, or via email at [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can dial or text 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor. Australians can call Lifeline at 13 11 14 for crisis support. For other international helplines, visit befrienders.org.
Source: theguardian.com
