The Government has agreed to pay up to £800,000 to a police force after it was forced to deal with the arrival of small boat migrants on the south coast.
asserted
it → agree → coast
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary had spent hundreds of thousands of pounds after asylum seekers crossed the Channel and landed in Portsmouth and Gosport.
asserted
seekers → spend → Portsmouth
The arrivals sparked large protests from locals, as anti-migrant activists turned up at ferry terminals around Portsmouth to demonstrate on multiple nights in September and October.
asserted
activists → spark → September
Officers from the force were assaulted at some of these gatherings, and a total of 18 people were arrested.
asserted
people → assault → gatherings
Since then the Home Office won't rule out further small boat migrant landings in Gosport or Portsmouth, saying it has contingency plans for further arrivals in Hampshire but refusing to disclose operational details.
asserted
it → rule → details
Donna Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said the cost associated with policing these events was 'extraordinary' and that it was 'unfair' to expect the force to pay for it after the bill spiralled to nearly £1million in just four weeks.
asserted
bill → say → weeks
Ms Jones said the force had to spent an additional £803,343 to deal with the arrival of migrants and to control the demonstrators, and wrote to the Government demanding it foot the bill.
asserted
it → say → bill
Today she claimed that the Home Office had agreed to reimburse the force for the costs it faced, although the final amount it receives 'could still be subject to review and negotiation'.
uncertain
it → claim → review
Police and demonstrators during an anti-migrant protest in Gosport
Migrants clamber to board a taxi boat at the beach in Oye Plage near Calais in northern France last week
asserted
Migrants → clamber → France
Ms Jones told LBC: 'The Minister for Border Security and Asylum wrote back to the Chief Constable this week, stating that we will be compensated for the additional spending incurred.'
asserted
we → tell → spending
The Home Office has not disclosed the amount it will pay, but said it had agreed a funding package to 'support the significant policing response in Portsmouth required in recent months.
asserted
it → disclose → months
It has previously said there are no plans to process migrants at Fort Blockhouse in Gosport, with arrivals instead taken to Manston in Kent for checks.
asserted
arrivals → say → checks
Gosport Borough Council has passed a motion calling for the town to be excluded from future disembarkations.
asserted
town → pass → disembarkations
Ms Jones says she has asked the Home Secretary to prevent Hampshire from becoming a regular landing location.
asserted
she → say → Hampshire
There were three crossings in six weeks as boats crossed from Normandy three times, with migrants brought ashore in Hampshire twice.
asserted
migrants → be → Hampshire
On October 4, 149 migrants arrived in Gosport aboard two RNLI lifeboats.
asserted
migrants → arrive → lifeboats
Several people have been sentenced for offences connected to the unrest, including violent disorder and assaults on police officers.
asserted
people → sentence → officers
The former Haslar Immigration Removal Centre in Gosport is being prepared for reopening, with plans to expand its capacity to 600 detainees and recruitment for staff has begun.
asserted
recruitment → prepare → staff
The Government advertised for seven 'detention engagement officers' at the centre, offering salaries of almost £35,000 to successful applicants.
asserted
Government → advertise → applicants
The roles, which are graded at executive officer level within the Civil Service, will involve working directly with detained migrants, providing updates on their immigration cases and monitoring their welfare.
asserted
which → grade → welfare
Seven jobs have been advertised at Haslar Immigration Removal Centre in Gosport, Hampshire
Under the Home Office's proposals, the first phase of the development would create accommodation for 130 detainees, before a second phase increases capacity to 600 across three-storey accommodation blocks.
asserted
phase → advertise → blocks
The department's recruitment advert describes the jobs as an opportunity to make a difference to people being held in immigration detention.
asserted
advert → describe → detention
The protests began on September 6 when hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads in Portsmouth to prevent coaches carrying 140 migrants from leaving the city.
asserted
hundreds → begin → city
Just over two weeks later, masked protesters gathered after reports that more migrants were due to arrive.
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migrants → gather → reports
Anti-migrant activist 'Danny Tommo', whose real name is Daniel Thomas, had told supporters that around 50 migrants were expected to be brought ashore.
asserted
migrants → tell → supporters
Border Force boats were subsequently diverted to Dover, while disorder in Gosport led to six arrests and three coaches waiting to collect migrants required police escorts.
A Home Office spokesman said: 'A funding package has already been agreed with Hampshire Police to support the significant policing response in Portsmouth required in recent months.
asserted
package → divert → months
'The Home Office continues to work closely with all forces on their financial position, including through the new Financial Resilience framework.'
asserted
Office → continue → framework
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire & the Isle of Wight, Ms Jones, said: 'The Home Office has confirmed that it will reimburse the policing costs associated with the recent migrant boat landings in Hampshire.
asserted
it → say → Hampshire
The protests place unsustainable demands on policing.
asserted
protests → place → policing
I have responsibility for Hampshire and Isle of Wight's policing budget.
asserted
I → have → budget
I have made clear that I should be involved at an early stage in discussions regarding government contingency plans to manage small boats headed for Hampshire.
asserted
involved → make → Hampshire
I am deeply concerned the Home Office is still planning for further small boat landings in Hampshire.'
asserted
Office → plan → Hampshire
The Aporia
