Summary

  • The government condemns "intimidating and thuggish behaviour" by hundreds of people protesting against small boat arrivals in Portsmouth last night

  • Crowds blocked roads after 140 migrants were brought to shore in Hampshire - much further west than where small boats usually arrive

  • Protesters were trying to stop the migrants being taken to the Manston processing centre in Kent

  • A government spokesman says: "The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder"

  • The Portsmouth protests followed a similar protest in Dover on Saturday, which led to hours of disruption for travellers

  • It's thought more than 500 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats yesterday - figures will be confirmed later by the Home Office

Watch: Protesters block roads in Portsmouth on Sunday night

Live Reporting

Edited by Alex Smith and Owen Amos

  1. Dinghy's journey to UK shores was significantly longer than typical small boat arrival

    Two lifeboats docking so that migrants can come on shoreEddie Mitchell

    Sunday’s protest in Portsmouth followed the arrival of a small boat, carrying 140 migrants, in the city.

    The dinghy was launched in the Bay of the Seine, France – around 170 miles (273km) from Calais where such boats are typically launched.

    This means the boat's journey to UK shores was significantly longer.

    It was shadowed for around 10 hours by French rescue boats, but the French coastguard said it was not safe to attempt to stop the dinghy on water.

    It reached UK waters at lunchtime on Sunday, at which point those on board were met by lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.

  2. Two more small boats attempt crossing in early hours of Monday morning

    Simon Jones
    Reporter, BBC South East Today

    It’s thought more than 500 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats yesterday. Figures will be confirmed later by the Home Office.

    A further two boats carrying around 140 people have attempted the crossing in the early hours of this morning.

    The weather now worsens in the Channel for several days - which will be a relief for the authorities following a weekend of anti-migrant protests.

  3. Hundreds of protesters block roads in Portsmouth after 140 migrants rescued from Channel

    A group of protesters in Portsmouth with police vehicles in the backroundEddie Mitchell

    Police carrying riot shields faced off with hundreds of protesters in Portsmouth on Sunday, in the area surrounding Portsmouth’s Eastney Landing ferry port.

    They blocked roads to prevent 140 migrants, that had arrived in a single dinghy that had crossed the English Channel, from leaving the city.

    The dinghy, launched from the Bay of the Seine in northern France was met by two UK lifeboats after entering UK waters at about lunchtime.

    A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said it had deployed lifeboats, a helicopter and a plane to respond to reports of the small boat heading towards the UK - adding that the Border Force, Hampshire Police and ambulance crews also attended.

    The group of protesters in Portsmouth said they were attempting to prevent the migrants being transported to the Manston processing centre in Kent.

    A dispersal order was put in place by Hampshire Police, with the force warning anyone failing to avoid the area could be arrested.

  4. Two small boat protests cause disruption on the south coast

    Police officers form a barricade to stop demonstrators progressingPA Media

    Police officers at the scene of one of the protests - near Eastney Beach, Portsmouth - on Sunday night

    Two large protests caused significant disruption in Dover and Portsmouth over the weekend as hundreds of people gathered to demonstrate against migrants arriving by small boats.

    The first took place in Dover on Saturday morning and saw protesters dressed in black and wearing face coverings, blocking traffic from coming in and out of the port.

    Chants of “stop the boats” could be heard amongst the crowd.

    Kent Police later described the protest as “spontaneous” but the force has since faced questions as to why they didn’t know about it in advance.

    On Sunday night, hundreds protested in a similar manner in Portsmouth after 140 migrants travelled across the English Channel in a single dinghy, which was escorted to shore by lifeboats once in UK waters.

    Protesters said they were trying to stop authorities transporting the migrants to the Manston processing centre in Kent.

    Earlier that day, the Home Office had stressed the government was “bearing down” on small boat crossings and “restoring control at our border”.

    We’ll be hearing more on this story on this morning – including from affected local authorities.