Requests to allow RNLI vessels carrying 120 migrants intercepted off the Isle of Wight to dock were turned down by both Portsmouth harbour and Southampton Port. The migrants were brought ashore on Sunday at Eastney, in Langstone Harbour, where anti-migrant demonstrators blocked the road before clashing with riot police.
Ports refuse landing requests
Associated British Ports (ABP), which runs Southampton, stated it was not the nearest port and it "did not have suitable reception facilities available". The BBC reports the King's Harbour Master (KHM) Portsmouth also turned down a coastguard request, but declined to comment directly on operational matters.
An RNLI spokesperson said: "We are working with the relevant parties to understand the decision to deny access, and we are disappointed with the nature of the communication with our crews, who voluntarily give their time to save the lives of others at sea."
Protesters clash with police at Eastney
The narrow peninsula at Eastney has just a single road in and out, which protesters used to obstruct coaches transporting the migrants from leaving the area, sparking a stand-off that stretched well into the early hours of Monday morning. Hampshire Police say several officers were treated for injuries sustained during the standoff, since described by a government minister as "thuggish and intimidating".
It followed a separate protest at the Port of Dover the previous day where the port was blocked off for hours by hundreds of men wearing masks. Portsmouth City Council described Eastney as a "completely unsuitable location to bring the boats ashore" and said it caused "needless disruption" to the surrounding area.
Harbour master defends landing decision
Langstone Harbour Master Billy Johnson stated that the coastguard was overseeing "a search and rescue operation" and there was "no reason not to accept" the vessels coming ashore at Eastney. "The problem was managing the public order aspect that was also taking place and the geography of the area made that very challenging for the police," he said.
"This is a new thing in the Solent and the degree to which it attracted public interest and the speed at which the public reaction was mobilised was unusual and surprising. The way the emergency services mobilised was really effective, with the police, Border Force, coastguard, the RNLI, ambulance and fire service working completely together - all of whom were hindered by the activities of protesters."
ABP confirmed it had received an enquiry regarding the landing of recovered migrants. In an official statement, it said: "We had to decline the enquiry as the Port did not have suitable reception facilities available. If there had been a safety of life at sea issue where Southampton was the closest port or if we had received a formal direction from the relevant authority then we would have played a role. Neither was the case in this situation."
Speaking on behalf of the government, Home Office minister Sarah Jones insisted the department would "learn any lessons that we need to" in the wake of the weekend's protests. When pressed on why Eastney had been selected as the landing point, she responded: "We are of course making sure we understand what exactly happened in that circumstance."
