Campaign groups Right to Remain and These Walls Must Fall hosted a nationwide online meeting on the evening of 29 July 2026 to coordinate opposition to the Home Office’s surprise application to expand Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Gosport from 130 to 600 beds—before the facility has even re-opened. During the webinar, legal education officers explained that the planning consultation window is unusually short (four weeks versus six for the recent Campsfield expansion). Attendees received template objections and guidance on how to submit representations before the 6 August deadline. Speakers warned that the proposal is part of a wider strategy to increase detention capacity ahead of the Government’s promised crackdown on irregular migration once new fast-track appeals rules enter force later this year. Community organisers highlighted the potential impact on local services and the psychological harm of large-scale detention on migrants and their families. For global-mobility managers the development underscores the Government’s tougher enforcement posture: foreign staff who fall out of status could face detention in a growing estate of IRCs. Employers were urged to audit immigration compliance and ensure timely renewals to avoid exposure. Participants vowed to leverage local MPs and media, citing recent successes in delaying expansions at Campsfield. A follow-up action day is planned for 3 August, and businesses with corporate responsibility commitments were invited to sign an open letter opposing the enlargement. Although consultation outcomes remain uncertain, the rapid mobilisation reflects rising public scrutiny of the UK’s detention policy and its knock-on reputational risks for companies involved in relocation and international assignments.
Source: Right to Remain
