REX/GETTY The Ocean Gala could house 1,790 migrants, at a cost of £65,000 a day

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The Ocean Gala – once the largest cruise liner in the world – is normally used by holidaymakers who fork out £2,500 for a two week break. The 623ft ocean gala boasts 768 cabins, ranging from cosy doubles to vast suites complete with private dining rooms, balconies and various spaces for holidaymakers in search of fun, sun and sea views. Swedish officials, who admitted they needed to “think outside the box” in the wake of the growing migrant population, are close to signing a deal that will see the giant cruise ship provide bed and board for 1,790 refugees – roughly the number who arrived in the country every day at the height of the migration crisis. Concerned locals have already voiced their opposition to having the ship docked on their coast, with councillors in the small town of Härnösand stating the proposition was “not appropriate” for the area.

REX The liner would usually cost holiday makers £2,500 for a two week trip

But having a theatre sounds really nice. Willis Åberg

Willis Åberg, head of housing issues for Swedish Migration Watch said: “Those who are going to stay in the boat will of course be a bit cramped in the cabins, so it is really important that we arrange for them to have large common areas outside. “But having a theatre sounds really nice. “Those who are going to stay at the ship will probably have to do that for quite a bit of time while their applications are being processed. So they need every encouragement they can get.” Swedish officials have been forced to establish radically different ways to deal with the migrant crisis, as the Scandinavian nation takes on the vast majority of refugees seeking asylum within Europe.

GETTY Sweden received more than 160,000 asylum applications in 2016

Sweden, which has a population of 9.5million, received more than 160,000 asylum applications in 2015, with predictions estimating the country will take in as many as 190,000 refugees in 2016 – as much as two per cent of the population. Åberg added: “We came up with it ourselves. “We are trying to think outside the box to solve this situation. We had this idea already in the 1990s when we had a huge influx of immigrants coming from the war in the Balkans, but it was never implemented then. “But we took up the idea again last year when we saw that the situation was going to be hard with immigrants coming by the thousand every day. Despite the cruise liner’s luxury reputation, the ship’s owners have confirmed many of the mod cons that are laid on for holidaymakers will not be available to the incoming refugees.

GETTY Sweden has held a largely migrant friendly stance throughout the crisis

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