Far-right activists have descended on Portsmouth, where a small boat with 140 asylum seekers on board was intercepted heading towards the Portsmouth coast. It sparked a major response with a helicopter, an aeroplane and lifeboats sent to the scene. It is thought to be the first time such a large boat containing asylum seekers has been brought to Portsmouth.
The boat’s occupants have been brought to shore in the maritime city and are being taken by coach to Manston, outside Ramsgate in Kent where small boat arrivals are processed. Videos circulating on social media show groups of people being taken on lifeboats to shore, where several coaches are parked. Portsmouth councillor George Madgwick, who is the leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, wrote in a post on X that “over 100 migrant men” had arrived on the Portsmouth shores on Sunday.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: “In response to a report on 6 September 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. Thomas has recently established Patriot Platform which blocked part of port of Dover on Saturday. He previously launched Operation Overlord which planned to send far-right activists to France to “stop the boats”.
He and his supporters filmed themselves slashing abandoned dinghies on a French beach. The french authorities subsequently banned him from France. A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government is bearing down on dangerous small boat crossings and restoring control at our border.
Joint efforts have seen over 48,000 crossing attempts prevented and 1,100 boats and engines seized since the election.
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