UK Police Chief Demands End to Small Boat Landings Amid £800,000 Cost
Hampshire's police commissioner calls on the Home Office to reimburse costs incurred due to migrant arrivals and protests, highlighting strain on resources and increasing violence.
Police and crime commissioner Donna Jones has urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to halt small boat landings in Portsmouth and Gosport, citing an £800,000 cost to police resources from related protests and migrant arrivals. Jones stated that the repeated demonstrations against Channel migrants have placed a significant strain on police operations.
Jones has formally requested full reimbursement from the Home Office for the policing costs to date and a commitment to cover all future deployments related to small boat crossings and associated protest activity. She also called for inclusion in future discussions between the Home Secretary and French counterparts to prevent crossings from Normandy to Hampshire.
The first incident cited by Jones occurred on September 6, when hundreds of protesters blocked roads in Portsmouth to prevent coaches carrying 140 migrants from leaving the city. Just over two weeks later, masked protesters gathered at Gosport marina following reports of migrant arrivals. On October 4, 149 migrants were brought ashore in Gosport via RNLI lifeboats after a journey from Normandy.
Jones described the protests as increasingly violent. She reported that at the most recent landing in Gosport, 12 arrests were made, including four for assaulting a police officer and one for assaulting an emergency worker. Protesters allegedly created human blockades and improvised barricades, obstructing emergency vehicles and coaches. The police marine unit was deployed to prevent small marine vessels from reaching the pontoon, and bins were reportedly set on fire, with some residents expressing fear of leaving their homes.
Several individuals have been sentenced for their roles in the unrest. Del Somerville, 42, received a two-year prison sentence for violent disorder. Deano Ryan, 22, and Justin Dixon, 50, were given suspended sentences for the same charge. Shannon Dodds, 32, and Sally Pearson, 31, also received suspended sentences after admitting to assaulting police officers.
The unrest has extended to RNLI lifeboat volunteers, whose children have allegedly faced bullying due to their parents' involvement in rescuing migrants. A letter presented to Portsmouth City Council detailed instances where children of two crew members were targeted at school. Volunteers have reported being confronted in public, with some crew members' details published online and suspicious vehicles observed near the lifeboat station. Volunteers have been branded 'traitors,' and one lifeboat station in Portsmouth was temporarily closed due to threats. RNLI volunteers have been advised to avoid wearing their badges in public to prevent confrontations.
Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson expressed deep concern over the abuse and intimidation directed at the RNLI, proposing a motion for the council to unequivocally support the charity. Councillor Billy Ansell stated that disagreements over immigration should not justify hostility towards lifeboat crews who respond to emergencies without regard for nationality or politics.