Hundreds of protesters stormed a port after Reform announced an ‘invasion’ of migrants on boats in Portsmouth.
The boat’s occupants have been brought to shore in the maritime city, where it is understood they will be processed as is routine for small boats.
Days after Dover was brought to a standstill, groups of masked ‘patriots’ blockaded a coach carrying groups of people thought to have landed on Sunday.
In a livestream from the scene, Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo – an associate of the right-wing activist Tommy Robinson – stood in the sea as he encouraged viewers to travel to Portsmouth to join the protest.
On his own footage, he appears to retch after confronting police officers in the port.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Reform’s economic spokesman Robert Jenrick posted: ‘The invasion comes to Portsmouth.
‘Home of the Royal Navy. Reform will end this humiliation.’
Cllr George Madgwick, 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.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted: ‘This week Andy Burnham struck an agreement for 45 more officers on French beaches. Today a boat launched from Baie de Seine, 170 miles from Calais, arriving on the beaches of Hampshire for the very first time. This is a joke. Only Reform will send the boats back.’
Conservative MP for 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.’
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.’
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.
‘We are making progress, with the number of small boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020.
‘But we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40% more boots on the ground on French beaches.’