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Date submitted

6 August 2026

Submitted by

Interested party

I am writing to object to the proposed expansion of Haslar Immigration Removal centre. The application reference is CROWN/2026/0000005. I am objecting because the proposal would expand Haslar into a 600-bed detention centre, adding up to 470 additional detention places before the refurbished 130-bed has even been re-opened or tested in practice. I am especially concerned about the flood risk, coastal safety, emergency evacuation and climate change. Haslar is a coastal site next to the Solent, parts of the site are in Flood Zone 3, meaning there is a high risk of flooding from the sea. Climate change increases the risk making it more likely to happen during the development of the site adding to the pressures already on the Coastal Defence. The risk to people locked in a secure site is therefore increased even with a Flood Evacuation Plan in place. In the case of a severe flooding event the whole place would need to be evacuated leading to problems of logistics, where would they go? Is there enough access to the site to enable this to happen without loss of life. For the surrounding neighbourhood the scale of the operation will be enormous and it is not clear if the impact has been made completely clear to the local population? I was only made aware of this by people aware of the ongoing situation. From a humanitarian point of view detention centres are known to cause unnecessary suffering to inmates and their families, putting added pressures on vulnerable people. Plus the added burden on an already stretched health, advice and legal services. These are the main reasons I would ask for the application to be refused at this stage. If it progresses there needs to be a full public enquiry that is open and honest on the full scale of the operation and the impact on the surrounding population and the effects of incarceration and if it really is the best option.