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Demonstrators descend on Portsmouth after small boat migrants brought to shore
Confirmed
In Short: Hundreds of protesters descended on Portsmouth as a small boat containing asylum seekers docked on the south coast of England, facing off with those brought to shore.
Hundreds of protesters descended on Portsmouth as a small boat containing asylum seekers docked on the south coast of England, facing off with those brought to shore. The boat, which launched from Baie de Seine, 170 miles from Calais, arrived for the first time in Hampshire, sparking a major response from authorities including Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police, and South Central Ambulance Service.
According to reports, around 500 demonstrators joined the protest, with some dressed in all black, similar to those who joined an anti-illegal migrant protest at the Port of Dover. Cllr George Madgwick, leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, reported that over 100 migrant men had arrived on the Portsmouth shores on Sunday.
What's confirmed
- Only Reform will send the boats back." Around 500 demonstrators are believed to have joined a protest in the area, with some dressed in all black Meanwhile, the party’s economic spokesman Robert Jenrick posted: “The invasion comes to Portsmouth.
What's still developing
- It comes after Reform UK last month announced a plan to intercept boats and return migrants to French ports using the Royal Navy.
- Challenged during a news conference over whether the wording "ordinarily" meant some migrants would not be accepted by France, Farage said it was "legalese".
- Farage said the "historic document" would "stop the boats forever".
- Last year Sir Keir Starmer's government also signed a "one in, one out deal", which allows the UK to send some small boat-arrivals back to France, while agreeing to take the same number of people from France believed to have a legitimate claim to come to the UK.
- Nigel Farage has agreed a deal with France's hard-right National Rally (RN) party on returning migrants who attempt to cross the English Channel in small boats, should both parties win power.
- France hits out at Reform UK plan to return migrants using Navy Nigel Farage meets French far-right leader in London The "memorandum of understanding" unveiled at the conference is a political document, but could be developed into a legal agreement between two future governments, if both parties win power.
- "France will ordinarily accept these persons, who will be repatriated to their home country in accordance with the law in force in France concerning expulsion." Illegal migrants who successfully arrive in the UK from France would be immediately detained and deported to their home country, rather than to France, under plans previously outlined by Reform.
- The boat launched earlier today, where occupants have been brought to shore to be processed, with videos on social media showing groups being taken on lifeboats to land where several coaches are parked.