South Coast ‘not prepared’ if Channel dinghy routes shift away from DoverThere were protests overnight in Portsmouth following the arrival of around 140 migrants there.The Government would need to adapt if Dover was no longer the destination of choice, Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner said (PA)PA WireGeorge Lithgow5 minutes ago
England’s south coast is not prepared for the arrival of migrants, and ministers will have a “significant issue” if people traffickers shift their routes further west, a police and crime commissioner has warned.
The Government will need to adapt if Dover is no longer the destination of choice, Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said.
It comes in the wake of overnight protests in Portsmouth after the arrival of around 140 migrants there.
Masked demonstrators blocked the road leading away from the RNLI Portsmouth Lifeboat Station at Eastney Marina, with photos showing police carrying riot shields forming a line and protecting a number of coaches that were parked up.
The landing site the migrants were taken to by the RNLI is on a narrow shingle bank with only one road leading towards the city.
All of those brought ashore were taken to a location for processing in the usual way, it is understood, likely to be the Manston arrivals and processing centre in Kent.
Discarded life jackets at Eastney Point, near Eastney Beach, Portsmouth, on Monday (PA)PA Wire
Ms Jones warned that places such as Portsmouth are “not set up” for the arrival of migrants.
She told the BBC’s Today programme: “We have hundreds of miles of coastline across southern England and if Dover is no longer the destination of choice, and instead there is going to be a spread across southern England, this is a significant issue for the Government.
“My concern now, as a police and crime commissioner, is that we don’t have this repeated.”
The dinghy was met by lifeboats from the Isle of Wight when it reached UK waters.
Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East Joe Robertson posted: “Extremely concerning to see an illegal migrant crossing this far west.
“We don’t know if this migrant boat was headed for the Isle of Wight but I’ll be contacting the Home Office first thing. We need to know exactly what happened and if new routes are being used for mega-dinghies by people smugglers.”
The dinghy is thought to have made one of the longest journeys of any small boat, and landings as far west as Hampshire are rare.
The protesters said they were determined to prevent authorities from transporting the migrants away.
The landing site the migrants were taken to by the RNLI is on a narrow shingle bank (PA)PA Wire
Livestreaming while standing in the sea at Eastney beach, Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo – an associate of right-wing activist Tommy Robinson – said: “Roads are all blocked, they are never going to be able to leave here.”
He said: “It was only yesterday (at the protests in Dover) when we warned them that we will not accept this any more, and that this is no longer an option to tell us that the boat numbers are down.
“This isn’t about the numbers being down… this is about understanding that this has to come to an end now.”
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A Home Office spokesperson said: “We condemn the intimidating and thuggish behaviour we saw in Portsmouth last night.
Police dealt with overnight protests in Portsmouth (PA)PA Wire
“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder. We thank the emergency services who safely managed this situation.
“This Government is doing the hard and necessary work of bearing down on small boats crossings, with the lowest number of June to August arrivals since 2020.”
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: “In response to a report on September 6 of a small boat heading towards the Hampshire coast, HM Coastguard sent lifeboats, an HM Coastguard helicopter, an HM Coastguard aeroplane and HM Coastguard Rescue Teams.
“Border Force, Border Security Command, Hampshire Police and South Central Ambulance Service were also sent.”
Protesters at Dover Priory train station, after demonstrators blocked roads in the port on Saturday (Oscar Rihll/PA)PA Wire
Large crowds of masked, black-clad men blocked road access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, in scenes which have been condemned by politicians.
The Port of Dover rally was criticised by politicians from all parties, with questions expected to be raised on Monday over whether Kent Police were prepared for it, and there could be similar criticism of Hampshire Police.
The demonstrations brought traffic on routes to the UK’s busiest international ferry and passenger port to a halt, delaying some ferry services and blocking major roads, but there were no arrests.
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