Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage defends reopening of Haslar Immigration Removal Centre in spat with Nigel Farage

The GB News host used a segment of his show called ‘What The Farage’ to highlight the planned reopening of the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage had previously highlighted the benefits of the reopening, due in late 2023, as she said it would ‘general employment and economic activity’ across the area.

Reading a letter outlining the proposals, Mr Farage told his audience: ‘Their local MP is telling them it will bring increased economic activity. You simply couldn’t make some of this stuff up.’

The former UKIP leader referred to the removal centre as a ‘reception centre’ for ‘foreign criminals’.

Ms Dinenage took to social media to defend her views, saying she was ‘not ashamed’ to see the facility in use rather than ‘rotting’.

In a post on Twitter, the MP replied to Mr Farage and said: ‘Yes love - it’s been a removal centre for foreign national offenders for decades, shut & empty since 2016 - now being considered for reopening. I’m not ashamed to say I’d rather it was sold or reopened, instead of sitting there, rotting, at public expense.’

In September, The News reported that Haslar Immigration Removal Centre in Gosport to reopen with 600 beds for foreign national offenders and failed asylum seekers.

At the time, Ms Dinenage, said: ‘On balance I’m glad a decision has finally been made regarding the site, which has been empty for seven years, contributing nothing to our local economy.

‘I have long called for the site to either be bought back into use or sold.’