Protests erupted over migrants being brought to Gosport

The Home Office says it is their “strategic intention” to no longer use Gosport as a site for migrant crossings as it seeks to find a more suitable long-term contingency location.

The disembarkation of 150 migrants at Fort Blockhouse on 4 October saw a protest of over 300 people where damage was caused to property in the area. Twelve protestors were arrested, a Gosport-wide dispersal order was imposed, and the migrants’ coaches could only leave for Kent once the protestors had dispersed almost four hours later at 2am.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to a marina in Gosport, by the RNLI following a small boat incident in the Channel. Picture date: Sunday October 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Trevor Adams/PA Wire | Trevor Adams/PA Wire

placeholder image — A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to a marina in Gosport, by the RNLI following a small boat incident in the Channel. Picture date: Sunday October 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Trevor Adams/PA Wire | Trevor Adams/PA Wire

On September 22 a protest was held after it appeared a migrant boat was heading for Gosport. Extra police and coaches had been brought in but eventually the migrants were taken to Dover by sea.

Each Gosport protest reportedly costs Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary up to £200,000. On 4 October, 227 officers were pulled from 999 calls, a dispersal order locked down 80,000 residents, businesses closed and lost trade, and Gosport Borough Council faced extra cleaning costs, and residents suffered property damage.

Following a meeting with Border Security Minister Anna Turley MP and Small Boats Operational Command, Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage has shared a statement from the Home Office regarding the future use of the Fort Blockhouse site for small boats picked up in the Channel between Normandy and the Solent.

The Home Office said they had reprioritised resources to reduce the likelihood that the RNLI would be called upon in future. The minister also suggested that the government had heeded Caroline’s previous warnings about Blockhouse’s unsuitability and were scoping alternative sites.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Where possible migrants in small boats will be intercepted at sea and taken to Dover. We have now invested in a tactical at-sea option in the region to facilitate that. It should also mean the RNLI is less likely to be called upon in the future.

"On rare occasions where HO intervention at sea is not possible, e.g. for emergency medical reasons, HO is now actively scoping alternative sites. It is our strategic intention to find a more suitable long-term contingency site."

In the meeting Caroline expressed her frustration with the Government’s lack of communication with her on the occasions where small boats made a crossing in the direction of the Solent.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP | Dame Caroline Dinenage MP

Writing on Facebook, the MP said: “I'll continue to keep the pressure on Government on this. I'm not prepared to revisit the scenes we saw in Gosport over recent months. It isn't fair on local people who were trapped in their homes in fear, businesses and properties that were damaged, and Hampshire Police and taxpayers who were left with a bill for over £800,000.”

Caroline has raised the issue twice with the Prime Minister, most recently on Wednesday 11 November in Prime Minister’s Questions.

She said: “Recent small boat crossings in the direction of the Solent have been spectacularly mishandled. The Government’s failure to communicate with Gosport residents bred misinformation and led to violent protests. It also sent a clear message to the gangs that this is a viable new route.

“What message does the Prime Minister have for Gosport businesses and properties that were damaged, for residents trapped in their homes in fear, for Hampshire police and for taxpayers left with a bill for over £800,000? Recent events have shown that Gosport is not a suitable place to disembark these boats. Can he reassure my constituents that it will not be used again?”

Responding, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “The message is that we will work with their Member of Parliament to hold to account those who caused the damage to those properties and businesses, but also to provide the support they need in the situation they are in.

“I understand she is meeting the Border Security Minister later today to discuss those issues further. Because the Government have been successful in stopping small boat crossings, the gangs are changing their tactics, but we will continue to chase them down. As we do, we will ensure that we learn from what happened and improve the arrangements going forward.”