Home Office hires staff as Gosport detention centre expansion moves forward

The Home Office is recruiting seven detention-engagement officers for Haslar Immigration Removal Centre in Gosport, offering salaries of about £35,000 plus allowances. The roles involve direct contact with detained migrants, case updates and welfare monitoring, and require shift work and security vetting. The centre, closed since 2015, is slated for a phased reopening: an initial capacity of 130 detainees, expanding to 600 with three-storey accommodation blocks.

Residents have submitted extensive objections over privacy, security and the visual impact of new buildings, prompting the Planning Inspectorate to order a public inquiry starting 17 November. Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage has criticised the Home Office for poor local engagement, while Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has highlighted the policing costs of recent anti-migrant protests. In parallel, the historic Fort Blockhouse nearby is being considered as a reception hub for small-boat migrants, intensifying fears of a concentrated immigration processing zone in the community.