Portsmouth protest disrupts transfer of 140 asylum seekers to Manston

Far-right protesters gathered in Portsmouth on 6 September after a small boat carrying 140 asylum seekers was intercepted near the Hampshire coast, according to The Guardian.

HM Coastguard sent lifeboats, a helicopter, an aeroplane and rescue teams to the incident. Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire police and the south central ambulance service also responded.

The arrivals were brought ashore and coaches were prepared to take them to Manston, outside Ramsgate in Kent, where small boat arrivals are processed. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show protesters blocking the coaches, although the timing and completion of the transfers were unclear.

Daniel Thomas, a former bodyguard of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, livestreamed calls for people to travel to Portsmouth and join the protest. Thomas has also been linked to recent anti-migrant actions at Dover.

The Guardian reported that small boat crossings had fallen by more than 40 per cent compared with the same period last year. The Home Office said more than 48,000 crossing attempts had been prevented and 1,100 boats and engines seized since the election, figures that were not independently verified in the report.