Hundreds of far‑right protesters descended on the port city of Portsmouth after a small boat carrying roughly 140 people was intercepted off the coast and brought ashore on Tuesday.
The arrival triggered a substantial operational response at sea, with a helicopter, an aeroplane and lifeboats dispatched to the scene, authorities said. The occupants of the vessel were taken to shore in Portsmouth, where arrangements were being made for onward processing.
An online influencer livestreamed from the area and called for men to travel to the port to attempt to block coaches that would carry the newly arrived people away from the site, organisers and social media posts indicated. Organisers and local reports said it was the first time a boat of this size believed to be carrying asylum seekers had been brought to Portsmouth, and the first occasion a large group of anti‑migrant demonstrators tried to prevent newly arrived asylum seekers from being processed.
The Home Office said its plan was to move the group to Manston in Kent, outside Ramsgate, where arrivals from small boats are processed. Officials have previously used Manston as a reception and processing location for crossings of the Channel.
Local authorities and security services were present in the area amid the demonstrations; police have responsibility for keeping the port and moving parties secure while processing arrangements continue. Further details about the identities or nationalities of those on the intercepted vessel were not released by officials.