POLICE in Dorset are reportedly undergoing special training to deal with far-right violence as the first contingent of refugees arrived at the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland Port today.

Their arrival coincided with publicity fanfares from government ministers as they ramped up the demonisation of immigrants.

The ministers warned that a massive new maximum financial penalty of £45,000 will be imposed on employers who hire migrants arriving in Britain by “irregular” means and on landlords who house them.

Companies providing food and services to refugees on the Bibby Stockholm have been threatened with retaliation such as damage to property and personal intimidation in letters believed to be from far-right activists, prompting police warnings to firms to be alert.

Chief Superintendent Richard Bell of Dorset Police said: “The content of the letters appears to be linked to the planned use of the Bibby Stockholm to house asylum-seekers at Portland Port.”

Dorset Police officers are understood to have been dispatched to other forces’ areas, among them West Yorkshire, to be trained in handling demonstrations by far-right thugs, who have previously targeted refugee hotels with protests.

West Yorkshire Police refused to comment, saying: “It is a matter for Dorset.”

The Dorset force had made no comment at the time of going to press.

There was mounting condemnation of the government’s use of the barge and former military camps to house refugees .

Amnesty International refugee and migrant rights director Steve Valdez-Symonds  said: “It seems there’s nothing this government won’t do to make people seeking asylum feel unwelcome and unsafe in this country.

“Reminiscent of the prison hulks from the Victorian era, the Bibby Stockholm is an utterly shameful way to house people who’ve fled terror, conflict and persecution.

“Housing people on a floating barge is likely to be retraumatising and there should be major concerns about confining each person to living quarters the typical size of a car parking space.

“It is completely inappropriate for the government to continue its terrible treatment of people as objects for storage.

“Rather than wrecking the asylum system, the government should fairly and efficiently determine people’s claims, instead of perpetuating costly backlogs, human misery and organised criminal exploitation.”

Kolbassia Haoussou of Freedom from Torture said: “When I fled torture and persecution in my homeland, the UK granted me sanctuary and a chance to rebuild my life in safety. 

“As a survivor of torture, I am deeply disturbed that the government is going ahead with its cruel plan to cram refugees onto a barge that has been branded a ‘potential death trap.’

“It’s time for this government to stop wasting time by forcing refugees to live in unsafe and undignified accommodation and concentrate its efforts on rebuilding an asylum system that treats people with humanity and compassion.”

Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, said about 20 asylum-seekers had not boarded the barge because their transfers were “cancelled” by lawyers.

He said: “None of the asylum-seekers we are supporting have gone to the Bibby Stockholm today as legal representatives have had their transfers cancelled.

“Amongst our clients are people who are disabled, who have survived torture and modern slavery and who have had traumatic experiences at sea. 

"To house any human being in a ‘quasi-floating prison’ like the Bibby Stockholm is inhumane. To try and do so with this group of people is unbelievably cruel. 

“Human beings should be housed in communities, not barges.”

Mr Smith accused the government of “playing to a gallery that seems to thrive on human suffering.”

The Bibby Stockholm was designed for 220 people but will house 500 refugees.

Home Office Minister Sarah Dines insisted that the barge would be in use “imminently” despite a succession of delays.

The transfer to the barge — billed by ministers as alternative migrant accommodation to end the reliance on hotels — has faced opposition from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), which described it as a “potential death trap,” and local residents.

The FBU expressed concerns about access to fire exits and possible overcrowding.