Twelve people arrested after anti-migrant protest at seaside town

Twelve arrests have been made during an anti-migrant protest that gathered on the South Coast when a small boat was due to arrive from France.

Demonstrators assembled near Haslar Marina in Gosport, Hampshire, on Sunday amid reports authorities were preparing for the arrival of a boat carrying 149 migrants.

Around 350 protesters gathered at the scene, with reports of flares being set off and some scuffles with police.

A total of 11 men aged between 22 and 59, plus one 57-year-old woman were arrested over offences such as assaulting a police officer, criminal damage, affray, being drunk and disorderly and racially aggravated public order.

One man, aged 29, was held on suspicion of obstruction of a highway after ambulances were blocked from travelling along a road near the marina.

A small number of injured officers were treated at the scene, but none were seriously hurt, and another person was treated for chest pains by the paramedics.

The dinghy was shadowed by French rescue vessels until it was met by two RNLI boats in English waters.

The migrants onboard will now be taken to Kent to undergo processing, the Home Office confirmed.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has since said the crowd of activists dispersed by 2am.

Police will analyse body-worn footage and videos online to identify any other potential offences. All of those arrested are still in custody, the force said.

Assistant chief constable Simon Dodds, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: "Last night saw a number of incidents that were clearly not peaceful protest, rather violent public disorder, and this will not be tolerated as we work to keep our wider communities in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight safe.

"Our officers did not deserve to be assaulted as they worked incredibly diligently on Sunday to ensure the safety of everyone in the area."

Police earlier said officers were deployed to Gosport to "support our partners in the event of an emergency at sea", with ambulances and coaches spotted in the area.

Officers banned the use of face coverings to "conceal identity during any protest activity".

They also directed protesters to a designated area inside a car park and warned that failure to do so "is a criminal offence and may result in arrest".

The latest arrivals come as two men died and two women were injured in an attempt to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Sunday night.

French authorities said the men, one in his 30s and one in his 40s, died after leaving the coast at Berck overnight.

The women were taken to hospital after suffering burns over a large part of their bodies, reportedly caused by burning boat fuel, French authorities said.

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Downing Street insisted "real progress" had been made in tackling small boat crossings.

A government spokesperson earlier confirmed: "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."

The Gosport arrivals were among 418 migrants who came to the UK on Sunday in five separate boats, taking the total for the year to 19,869.

Last month, protesters gathered in the same area after reports suggested migrants would be arriving on a dinghy - but they were instead taken to Dover by sea.

The vessel, carrying 51 migrants, spent around 30 hours at sea after departing from Normandy.

The migrants eventually arrived in Dover, Kent, after being transferred to Border Security Command boats.

It is estimated that 19,451 Channel crossings have taken place this year, a 43% decrease on this time last year and a 23% drop from this stage in 2024.

(c) Sky News 2026: Twelve people arrested after anti-migrant protest at seaside town