Home Office won’t rule out future migrant small boat landings in Gosport

The government has refused to say whether it will rule out further planned small boat landings in Gosport.

Gosport Borough Council unanimously backed a motion calling for the borough to be excluded from future planned disembarkation operations and asking for assurances over the future use of Fort Blockhouse.

But when asked whether it would agree to the council’s request, the Home Office did not confirm that Gosport would be ruled out.

The motion followed operations on September 22 and October 4, with people brought ashore at Fort Blockhouse during the latter incident.

During a meeting on October 14, leader Cllr Zoe Huggins BEM said Gosport was not suitable for routine or planned small boat arrivals because of its limited access routes, infrastructure and the pressure operations could put on emergency services.

Councillors also asked the Government to confirm Fort Blockhouse was not being considered for the landing, reception or processing of people arriving after irregular small boat crossings.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.

“Over 80,000 people with no right to be in the UK have been removed or returned since the election. Small boat crossings are down significantly, and we have just recorded the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020.”

The Home Office said the Government has contingency plans in place to deal with small boat arrivals further along the coastline. However, it said it would not comment further on its operational processes or contingency arrangements.

The department said it would seek to speak to councils and other relevant organisations in advance where circumstances allow.

This follows calls from councillors for better communication when operations could affect the borough.

Cllr Huggins  said on Wednesday that Gosport was “not a safe and suitable site” for small boat landings because of its infrastructure.

The council’s motion also called for the Government to consider access, road capacity, emergency services and the impact on residents when deciding where future operations should take place.

The Home Office said it works closely with organisations including the police to help keep communities safe.

It also pointed to a public engagement event held in autumn 2025 over plans for Haslar Immigration Removal Centre.