Gosport council “extremely disappointed” at being “ignored” about bringing migrants to town
Migrants were also set to arrive in the town last month sparking protests
Gosport Borough Council said it is “extremely disappointing” it is being “ignored” about bringing migrants into the town.
A large police presence with a dispersal order was in place as protesters gathered to oppose 149 migrants being brought ashore in Gosport on Sunday evening.
It comes less than two weeks after asylum seekers were due to arrive in the town before the plan was aborted and they were transferred by boat to Kent for processing. Migrants were also brought shore in Eastney last month resulting in protesters clashing with police during a 10-hour stand-off.
The migrants arrived in Portsmouth Harbour at Fort Blockhouse at 10.20pm on two RNLI boats before being placed on coaches and taken to Kent to be processed.
The migrants had left France early on Sunday morning on a mega-dinghy before arriving in Gosport where there was a huge police presence as protesters gathered. Haslar Bridge was closed and blocked by police, while a dispersal order was brought in for the whole town.
Gosport Borough Council Leader Cllr Zoe Huggins said: "Last night's landing of migrants at Fort Blockhouse raises serious concerns for our local community.
"As we have repeatedly said, Gosport is not the right location for small boat arrivals and it is extremely disappointing that the Home Office continues to ignore our concerns.
"Last night's operation required a huge response by emergency services and partner agencies, putting pressure and additional cost on already stretched local resources. I want to thank all those who worked so professionally to ensure people's safety in very difficult circumstances.
"People living nearby were understandably worried and many were trapped in their houses for hours while roads were closed. Residents rightly expect transparency from the Government about what is happening in their community, and I want to thank the vast majority who conducted themselves peacefully throughout the evening.
"Our staff and contractors are out today to clear up the area and carry out necessary repairs with support from the county council, which the councils are expected to pay for.
"The government needs to do more to prevent small boat crossings organised by criminal gangs, and to urgently identify a safe and suitable site for disembarkations and processing in an alternative, more suitable area."
The government has said a “small boat” of 149 individuals had launched from Normandy, France, before it “successfully disembarked” at Gosport.
A government spokesperson said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border. We have established contingency plans to make sure we can securely disembark, check and process all small boat arrivals.
“Migrants will be transported to short term holding facilities in Kent where they will be processed as normal and undergo stringent health, security and biometric checks.”