The Home Office has refused to rule out further planned small boat landings in Gosport despite calls from the borough council for the town to be excluded from future operations.
Gosport Borough Council unanimously backed a motion opposing further planned disembarkations in the borough and demanding assurances about the future use of Fort Blockhouse.
The decision followed operations on 22 September and 4 October, when people arriving in small boats across the Channel were brought ashore in the area.
Council raises concerns over emergency services
At a meeting on 14 October, council leader Cllr Zoe Huggins BEM argued that Gosport was unsuitable for routine or planned small boat arrivals because of its limited access routes, infrastructure and the potential pressure on emergency services.
Councillors also called on the Government to confirm that Fort Blockhouse would not be used for the landing, reception or processing of people arriving after irregular Channel crossings.
However, the Home Office has not agreed to rule out the site for future operations.
A spokesperson for the department 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.”
Government keeps contingency plans open
The Home Office confirmed that contingency plans were in place to deal with small boat arrivals at other locations along the coastline.
However, it declined to comment further on its operational procedures or contingency arrangements.
The department said it would seek to engage with councils and other relevant organisations in advance where circumstances allowed.
The council has called for future decisions about landing sites to take account of road capacity, access arrangements, emergency service resources and the impact on local residents.
Cllr Huggins previously described Gosport as “not a safe and suitable site” for small boat landings.
No guarantee over future use of Fort Blockhouse
The Home Office said it worked closely with organisations, including the police, to help maintain public safety.
The department also pointed to a public engagement event held in autumn 2025 concerning proposals for Haslar Immigration Removal Centre.
Despite the council’s unanimous motion, the Government has not provided the requested assurance that Gosport and Fort Blockhouse will be excluded from future planned operations.
The possibility of further landings therefore remains open, although the Home Office has not confirmed whether or when another operation could take place.
