AROUND 600 people could be held in detention by the Home Office in Gosport under plans outlined to the public.

Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) is set to be brought back into use this year after it was closed in 2015.

The centre will be used to detain men who are failed asylum seekers and foreign nationals convicted of a crime set to be deported.

Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage previously said the site could bring around 200 jobs for the economy in the area.

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Plans shown to the public last week said: "In developing plans for the new site, we will be taking into account points raised by inspection bodies and others into the previous Haslar IRC and learning from recently developed sites such as the new IRC at Derwentside.

"Phase 2 of the project is currently in its early stages, but we plan to construct a new build on the remainder of the site within the perimeter of the fence to provide approximately 470 places.

"When combined with the operational capacity in the renovated part of the site this will provide an operational capacity of approximately 600 for the entire site."

The site has previously served as a removal centre. The Dolphin Way site was closed in June 2015 and was due to open as a prison. But in November 2016 ministers axed the plan.

The first phase will see general repair work but no alteration to the external appearance of the building will be made.

New modular buildings will be constructed, including a healthcare facility and cold food storage building.

New security fences and gates will be put in, and internal roads will be relaid.

It's hoped the building will be sustainable despite constraints on the construction.

It added: "There will be further engagement later in the year in relation to proposals for planning outside of permitted development."

A report in 2014 while the centre was open raised concerns about detainees at risk of self-harm while a special accommodation unit was not staffed. It also found an allegation of racism was poorly handled.

But it also said the centre was "reasonably safe and there were very few fights or assaults".

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