Live: Anger continues after 149 migrants crossing the channel were brought to Gosport

Twelve people have been arrested for offences including assaulting a police officer following a protest in Gosport over migrant arrivals on Sunday, Hampshire Police said.

The news comes after a group of 149 Migrants who are thought to have left France early yesterday (October 4) morning on a mega-dinghy arrived at Fort Blockhouse at 10.20pm last night, having been picked up by two RNLI boats. They are now in Kent being processed.

The group were shadowed to the edge of French waters by the French boat Abeille Liberté, and then the RNLI took over in English waters. It embarked the migrants and delivered them to Gosport. Two-and-a-half hours later a convoy of coaches and police cars set off for Kent.

A huge police presence was seen in Gosport yesterday afternoon as a result of the news the migrants were heading to the area, with many officers mustering at Fareham Reach industrial estate. Haslar Bridge has been closed and blocked police, and a dispersal order has been brought in for the whole town which remains in place.

Separate orders forbid face coverings at protests, and also insist protesters must gather at Walpole Park car park. Coaches were seen leaving Broadcut in Fareham for Haslar.

Police have said that crowd of around 350 protesters that gathered dispersed by 2am this morning - with 12 arrests having been made. This included arrests for assaulting a police officer, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

All remain in custody at this time.

Earlier, Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage had said she had had no answer from the Home Office about what the plan was for the migrants, and Hampshire’s police and crime commissioner Donna Jones repeated her call - one also made by Ms Dinenage - that all migrants on boats should be taken by sea to Dover, regardless of where on the south coast they arrive.

As late as 6pm, Mrs Jones was saying that it was not definite that the migrants would be brought ashore in Gosport - another example of how little information has been released by the Home Office.

Hampshire Reform UK leader George Madgwick posted earlier today on Facebook: “This is an absolute shambles. If they dock in Portsmouth Harbour, the home of the Royal Navy, that is disgusting. But there is hope. Last time they planned to dock there they changed course. Let’s hope they do the same today. If you’re heading there stay peaceful and calm.”

Protesters were lined up against the row of police by Haslar Bridge and on the whole the demonstration has been peaceful.

Mrs Jones revealed that the cost of policing each anti-migrant protest is £150,000 and this is the third crossing this far west in less than a month.

On Sunday, September 6 an RNLI boat landed at the Hayling Ferry pontoon in Eastney, Portsmouth after being refused entry to Portsmouth and Southampton Harbours. Its arrival sparked a protest in Ferry Road, which lasted for much of the night.

Then on Tuesday, September 22 a large crowd assembled at Haslar when it appeared the occupants of a migrant dinghy were to be brought ashore there after spending 30 hours at sea. Police were drafted in from other areas and coaches were seen at Fort Blockhouse. In the end the asylum seekers were taken to Dover by sea and did not come ashore in Hampshire.

The 51 migrants, who refused help from the French coastguard, arrived in Dover after being transferred to Border Security Command boats.

HM Coastguard said earlier it was “liaising with French authorities about a small boat within French waters of the Channel, south of the UK central south coast”.

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.”

The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 19,451. This is down 43 per cent on this time last year and 23 per cent below the figure at this stage in 2024.