Was the Gosport Section 34 dispersal order during the migrant arrival justified?
Hampshire Police issued a Section 34 dispersal order under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 covering the whole of Gosport until 7am on 6 October 2026, alongside a Section 14 order directing protests to a designated area. This followed the arrival of 149 migrants rescued in the Channel and brought ashore at Gosport on 4 October, sparking a protest of around 350 people that led to 12 arrests for offences including assault on police, criminal damage and racially aggravated public order. The order gave officers powers to direct individuals to leave the area and not return for a specified period to maintain public safety and facilitate the processing of arrivals who were then bussed to Kent.
6 Opinions
The use of the police to attack british citizens protesting at the illegal importation of illegal immigrants is taking us down a very dark road last seen in Nazi Germany
The dispersal order was an overreach preventing legitimate protest
The emergency services did what they thought was needed to ensure safety during a complex operation and in the face of violence from protesters. Optics-wise, applying the order to the entire town may seem a little heavy-handed, I admit, but it’s ultimately the police’s job to enforce order. I wouldn’t have wanted to be the one to make that judgement call, and had the protests been peaceful, a dispersal order may not have been needed at all.
The police's job is to maintain order. They're not responsible for asylum policy.