Hundreds protest near Gosport as new immigration removal centre plans advance

Around the town of Gosport, which is set to accommodate a refurbished immigration removal centre, hundreds of anti-immigration protesters marched through the streets on Sunday. Near the ferry port, a smaller group of counter-protesters held signs urging the public to "fight ignorance, not immigrants" and welcoming refugees. Police deployed vans and horse-mounted units to keep the two sides at a distance and enforced a temporary prohibition on face coverings in certain areas.

The demonstrations remained largely peaceful, although earlier in the month 12 individuals were arrested during a protest linked to a recent small-boat crossing. The Home Office described the upcoming facility as a mix of refurbished and new-build accommodation, initially providing about 130 bed spaces, with a second phase potentially adding roughly 470 more, bringing total capacity to around 600 pending planning approval.