Anti-migrant protesters gather as small boat heads for south coast

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The dinghy appeared to have set off from near the Utah Beach area of Normandy on Sunday morning, according to ship tracking data. It was being shadowed by French rescue vessels but now appears to be in waters off Gosport, Hampshire, with RNLI boats on the scene.

French media reported there were about 120 migrants on board.

Hampshire Police said it had deployed officers to Gosport to "support our partners in the event of an emergency at sea". The force has imposed conditions under the Public Order Act as well as powers prohibiting the wearing of face coverings.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The Border Security Command works around the clock to monitor the Channel and protect our border."

They added it was "vital we continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival".

A police cordon has been put in place on Haslar Road in Gosport, where the atmosphere at the protest has mostly remained peaceful.

Ambulances and coaches are also reportedly in the area.

Some protesters stopped police vans from advancing by standing in front of them and chanting "shame on you" and "deport the lot".

There were similar scenes last month when protesters gathered in the area expecting migrants to arrive on a dinghy, but they were ultimately taken to Dover by sea.

Departures so far west along the south coast have been rare in recent years but it is the third such crossing in the space of a month.

The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 19,451.

This is down 43% on this time last year and 23% below the figure at this stage in 2024.