Haslar Immigration Removal Centre delays explained as crucial update is given to residents
Asbestos has been blamed for being one of the main reasons for the delay in the reopening of the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre, with residents assured with will be kept informed about future plans for the site.
The Home Office has been carrying out work at the site to bring it up to scratch so that it can be brought back into use as part of the government’s efforts to speed up the removal process for time-served Foreign National Offenders and for ‘immigration offenders’.
But residents have been awaiting details about when the site will reopen and what impact it could have on the local community - and now they have received a letter from the government giving them as update.
As previously reported by The News, the ongoing works are for the first of two phases for the site in Dolphin Way which closed in 2015 after it was deemed no longer fit for purpose. Numerous reports of inhumane conditions at the centre were reported with HMIP inspectorates once describing it as the 'worst accommodation in the immigration estate'.
But then in 2022 there was an unexpected announcement in 2022 it was to be revamped as part of the government’s plans to deal with immigration issues.
The first phase will see 130 beds created in the refurbished accommodation, with a second phase to follow creating an additional 600 beds in the future to allow higher levels of enforcement and returns for those who have had their claim for asylum rejected or who have spent time in prison.
Local residents have been told they will have the chance to take part in a public engagement session about the second phase this summer, with letters sent to local residents to update them about the project and allay concerns over parking and the security of the site.
The letter from the Minister for Border Security and Asylum Angela Eagle said: “I would like to reassure you Haslar IRC, once open, will be a detained site providing decent, safe and secure accommodation for detained individuals.
“People will be detained under immigration powers and will not be free to lave the centre or access the local area. The IRC will have suitable physical security measures and an appropriate security regime to ensure it operates safely and securely.”
The letter outlines that detainees will have access to separate medical care on site, meaning it will not add a further strain onto local services. The letter also addressed local concerns about parking issues, with contractors being told to park in public carparks instead of in residents roads where possible.
Local MP Caroline Dinenage has said that she is continuing to request more information to share with local residents.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the MP said: “The Home Office is still in the process of redeveloping the site - which was delayed due to a number of factors including asbestos.
“Since the 2024 General Election Caroline has been keen to engage with the new Immigration Minister, Dame Angela Eagle to ensure that Gosport residents’ views were being considered by the Government. When she met the Minister earlier this year, Caroline stressed the utmost importance of keeping residents informed and updated.”
The site is expected to create around 500 jobs when it is open, though the Home Office has declined to confirm any timelines.
It was originally pencilled in for reopening at the end of 2023, however that time scale as slipped significantly as a result of the need to carry out the works at the site, with planning permission to demolish some buildings only granted by Gosport Borough Council last year.