Anti-migrant protesters scuffle with police in Gosport after Channel rescue

Anti-migrant protesters have scuffled with police in Gosport, Hampshire, as they opposed the rescuing of nearly 150 people trying to reach the UK by small boat.

The demonstrators gathered in the south coast town as news of the vessel’s expected arrival spread. It was the second time protesters had targeted the town amid rumours of rescued people disembarking there.

Several rescued people were seen arriving at a marina in Gosport after being transported onboard two RNLI boats late on Sunday evening.

Their dinghy was shadowed by French rescue vessels while in the Channel until it was met by RNLI boats in English waters, according to ship tracking data.

The Home Office said 149 migrants were believed to be onboard. It said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border. We have established contingency plans to make sure we can securely disembark, check and process all small boat arrivals. Migrants will be transported to short term holding facilities in Kent where they will be processed as normal and undergo stringent health, security and biometric checks.”

On Sunday, Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary said it had deployed officers to Gosport to “support our partners in the event of an emergency at sea”. Ambulances and coaches were also spotted in the area.

The force imposed conditions under the Public Order Act as well as powers prohibiting the wearing of face coverings.

Demonstrators had assembled near Haslar Marina where the atmosphere was mostly peaceful, though there were reports of flares being set off and some scuffles with police.

There were similar scenes last month when protesters gathered in the area expecting migrants to arrive on a dinghy, but they were ultimately taken to Dover by sea.

Departures so far west have been rare in recent years, but it is the third such crossing in a month. In September, British rescue boats collected passengers of a dinghy that had spent around 30 hours at sea after setting off from Normandy. The 51 people, who refused help from the French coastguard, arrived in Dover after being transferred to Border Security Command boats.

It was expected they would be taken to Gosport, with hundreds of protesters gathering after coaches and ambulances were spotted in the area. Six people were arrested by officers during that evening.

The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 19,451. This is down 43% on this time last year and 23% below the figure at this stage in 2024.