Dozens of demonstrators have descended on Portsmouth after migrants headed towards the Hampshire coast on a small boat were intercepted and brought ashore.
Video footage showed protesters facing up to police and shouting “stop the boats” on Sunday evening. Far-right agitator Daniel Thomas, an associate of Tommy Robinson, was live-streaming from a beach in Eastney and encouraged his supporters: “To get in your cars and get down here now”.
Emergency services rushed to intercept the small boat on Sunday evening, with two RNLI lifeboats called out and a HM coastguard helicopter and plane also deployed.
Around 140 migrants are believed to have disembarked near Eastney in Portsmouth, and will be taken to Manston immigration centre in Kent for processing.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: “In response to a report on 6 September of a small boat heading towards the Hampshire coast, HM Coastguard sent lifeboats, an HM Coastguard helicopter, an HM Coastguard aeroplane and HM Coastguard Rescue Teams.
“Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police and South Central Ambulance Service were also sent.”
Reform leader Nigel Farage claimed that the boat had launched from Baie de Seine, near Caen, saying: “Today a boat launched from Baie de Seine, 170 miles from Calais, arriving on the beaches of Hampshire for the very first time. This is a joke”.
The French maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said on Sunday that around 140 migrants had set out on a small boat from the west of the Baie de Seine overnight on Saturday. The departure was “unusual for the area”, with small boats usually launched from further up the French coast near Dunkirk.
The French maritime prefecture said on Sunday that the “migrant boat is currently continuing its journey towards the United Kingdom”, after people on board refused assistance.
open image in galleryFootage taken from the scene near Eastney showed a large emergency presence, and men wrapped in blankets were seen being taken ashore on RNLI boats.
Christine Martin, who was on a boat on the Eastney Cruising Association pontoon, told Portsmouth’s The News that she was unable to leave due to the incident. She said: “Being on my own in the boat, I am a little bit worried. The coastguard has been here sometime not letting anyone in or out. I just don’t know what to do.
“There have been lots of ambulances turning up. There is may 50 or 60 police and ambulance officers down near the Hayling Ferry pontoon.”
Conservative MP for MP for Isle of Wight East, Joe Robertson, posted on social media on Sunday: “Extremely concerning to see an illegal migrant crossing this far west.
“We don’t know if this migrant boat was headed for the Isle of Wight but I’ll be contacting the Home Office first thing. We need to know exactly what happened and if new routes are being used for mega-dinghies by people smugglers.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government is bearing down on dangerous small boat crossings and restoring control at our border. Joint efforts have seen over 48,000 crossing attempts prevented and 1,100 boats and engines seized since the election.
“We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020.
“But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40 per cent more boots on the ground on French beaches.”