By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-07 12:25:40 | Updated at 2026-09-07 13:11:37
50 minutes ago
A police chief has warned England’s south coast is not prepared for the arrival of migrants after a night of protests in Portsmouth.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said the Government will need to adapt if Dover is no longer the destination of choice.
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.
Ms Jones, a Conservative, warned that places such as Portsmouth are "not set up" for the arrival of migrants.
She told the BBC: "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."
Police cars parked at Eastney Point near the site of the protest were damaged this morning.
Police cars were damaged at Eastney Point
PA
Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East Joe Robertson said: "[It is] 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.
Protests broke out in Portsmouth last night
PA
Speaking to reporters, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "Intimidating and thuggish behaviour is unacceptable; we always respect the right to peaceful protest but not when it crosses a line."
Sources added there is currently "no evidence" of a change in tactics by people smugglers, with a spokesman adding: "Police have our full support."
Meanwhile, the leader of Portsmouth City Council Steve Pitt hit out at “poor judgment” by the Home Office following anti-migration protests, and said Portsmouth was “a completely unsuitable location” to land lifeboats.
The Liberal Democrat councillor said: "The Government needs to take more action to prevent small boat crossings.
"Clearly people are not happy with the situation and we respect everyone’s right to protest but it should be done peacefully and within the law."
Barry Williams called the protesters 'idiots'
PA
Councillor Pitt continued: "We are pleased the coaches were eventually able to leave Portsmouth early this morning to take people outside of Hampshire for processing in the normal way.
“The council wasn’t asked about the decision to land the lifeboats in Portsmouth. This was entirely a decision taken by UK Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Home Office.
“It was a completely unsuitable location to bring the boats ashore, this entire situation was avoidable and has brought needless disruption to our city.
"I would like to thank the emergency services for their professionalism under very challenging circumstances.
“However, the Home Office has some serious questions to answer about their lack of planning, inconsistent decision-making and ultimately, poor judgement. They put people at risk. This cannot happen again.”
Police officers pass a pile of discarded life jackets at Eastney Point, near Eastney Beach, Portsmouth
PA
On the south coast, one grandfather said he had to deflate his own dinghy to stop protesters taking it after more than 100 migrants arrived in Portsmouth on Sunday.
Barry John-Williams, 69, told reporters the protesters were "idiots" and some had offered him money to use his boat.
He said: “They [protesters] were offering to pay me money to take the boat and I said look it’s staying there, and that’s why I deflated it. What they were going to do with it I don’t know.
“One of the idiots, I heard him say they thought the migrants might have come in this boat”, he added, referring to his own small 2.7 metre-long dinghy.
