MERSEYSIDE MPs condemned at the weekend a Tory plan to house refugees on a “prison ship” on the River Mersey, calling it “inhumane and unworkable.”

The Home Office came up with the plan after loud opposition, including from its own supporters, to buy a huge barge to house 500 refugees off the coast of Dorset. Opponents said legal action would be launched.

The decision to target Wirral in Merseyside for a similar proposal provoked immediate opposition from Labour MPs Mick Whitley, Angela Eagle and Margaret Greenwood.

In a joint statement, the MPs said the plan would leave refugees “stranded on what amounts to a prison ship” because of inadequate transport links.

“We owe a duty of care towards those who come to the UK fleeing conflict and persecution,” the statement said.

“Instead, this government is abandoning its responsibilities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people claiming asylum in the UK.

“Government policy is now being driven by a sense of wanton cruelty without any intention of trying to secure positive outcomes for those involved.”

The MPs said that ministers’ failure to consult Wirral Council when drawing up the plan “reflected a culture of incompetence” within the Home Office.

In December, the number of people in the UK waiting to have their initial asylum claims processed reached to 161,000 — the second-largest asylum backlog in Europe, despite receiving fewer asylum-seekers than many comparably sized countries.

The MPs said local services, including healthcare, would not be readily accessible to refugees.

They pledged to “fight these inhumane plans all the way” and are demanding a meeting with Home Office ministers.