RNLI lifeboats carrying 140 Channel migrants were denied entry to two larger ports before docking at Eastney Landing near Portsmouth, where they encountered hundreds of protesters. Police officers sustained injuries and vehicles were damaged during a confrontation with over 500 individuals after the migrants came ashore on Sunday.
The leader of Portsmouth City Council criticized the decision to divert the boats, stating it "put lives at risk" and caused "needless disruption." It emerged that the crews of two RNLI lifeboats received warnings against docking at Southampton Port or Portsmouth Harbour, with threats of legal action.
A marine radio broadcast indicated that Southampton Vessel Traffic Service and the King's Harbour Master Portsmouth refused permission for the RNLI to enter either port or their approaches. The crews were informed that non-compliance could lead to criminal prosecution. Consequently, the crews of the Bembridge and Yarmouth lifeboats proceeded to Eastney Landing.
Large crowds blocked the road leading away from the port, and images showed police using riot shields. The Hampshire Police Federation reported that two officers were pushed from motorbikes and others had bricks thrown at them. This incident followed a similar protest by masked individuals at the Port of Dover the previous day.
Associated British Ports (ABP) confirmed that RNLI lifeboats carrying migrants were instructed not to approach Southampton. An ABP spokesperson stated that the port lacked suitable reception facilities and that they would have assisted only in a safety-of-life-at-sea situation or upon formal direction from authorities, neither of which applied.
The "mega-dinghy" carrying the migrants had traveled approximately 70 miles from the Normandy coast, a route significantly different from the typical crossing points between Calais and Dover. This departure marks the first known instance of such a long-distance crossing.
Portsmouth City Council leader Steve Pitt accused the Home Office of "poor judgment" regarding the landing decision. He emphasized the need for government action to prevent small boat crossings and called for protests to remain peaceful and lawful. Pitt stated that the council was not consulted on the landing and that the decision was made by the UK Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and the Home Office, deeming the location unsuitable and the situation avoidable.
An infrared image taken by a French lifeboat crew that shadowed but did not stop a dinghy carrying 120 migrants that was later taken to Portsmouth
The Hard-Right organization Patriot Platform claimed responsibility for the demonstrations in Portsmouth and Dover. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, called for a ban on face coverings worn by extremists.
Authorities anticipate an increase in similar long-distance voyages from Normandy as smugglers adapt their tactics. A source from the French interior ministry noted a shift in the geographical focus of people smugglers from Pas-de-Calais to Normandy due to increased difficulty launching boats in the former region.
The Home Office reported that 625 migrants reached Britain on Sunday, the highest daily figure since July 29, with an additional, unconfirmed number arriving early Monday. The occupants of the Portsmouth dinghy, including women and children, reportedly refused rescue after their motor broke down, according to French officials. The 46-foot dinghy departed from an isolated beach near Jobourg, Normandy. French rescue services monitored the 14-hour crossing, during which the migrants' outboard motor failed, prompting Mayday calls. Lifejackets were reportedly distributed by French rescue boats, as only a few migrants were initially wearing them. A second outboard motor was made functional, allowing the dinghy to continue its journey.
Lifejackets dumped by migrants by the road at Eastney Beach, where the migrants arrived, are collected by locals
British authorities, including a Coastguard aircraft and RNLI lifeboats, later monitored the vessel before escorting it to Eastney Marina. A Home Office spokesperson condemned the "intimidating and thuggish behaviour" observed in Portsmouth, affirming the right to peaceful protest while condemning disorder. The spokesperson also stated that the government is working to reduce small boat crossings, noting the lowest number of arrivals between June and August since 2020.
The RNLI reported assisting over 36,000 people across its services last year, with crews launching more than 9,000 times. RNLI crews maintain a duty to rescue individuals in distress at sea, irrespective of their identity.