Migrants have arrived in Gosport, Hampshire, after crossing the Channel from France by dinghy. A number of people were seen arriving at a marina in the town, having been transported aboard two RNLI boats late on Sunday evening.
Protesters gather at Haslar Marina
Protesters again gathered in the town amid reports that authorities were preparing for the arrival of a boat. The dinghy was being shadowed by French rescue vessels until it was met by the RNLI boats in English waters, according to ship tracking data.
French media reported there were around 120 migrants on board. 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”.
Police powers and arrests
Ambulances and coaches have been seen in the area. The force has imposed conditions under the Public Order Act as well as powers prohibiting the wearing of face coverings.
Demonstrators have assembled near Haslar Marina, where the atmosphere has mostly remained peaceful so far. 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.
Crossing from Normandy
The latest dinghy appeared to have set off from near the Utah Beach area of Normandy on Sunday morning. Departures so far west have been rare in recent years, but it is the third such crossing in the space of a month.
A Government spokesperson said: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to monitor the Channel and protect our border. It is vital we continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.”
Last month, British rescue boats collected the passengers of a migrant dinghy which had spent around 30 hours at sea after setting off from Normandy. The 51 migrants, who refused help from the French coastguard, arrived in Dover after being transferred to Border Security Command boats.
It was expected the migrants 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 the 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.
