Man charged after Gosport protest following Channel rescue

The group arrived at a marina aboard two RNLI boats late on Sunday. The BBC reported that more than 100 people believed to be migrants had been brought ashore; it cited French media for an estimate of about 120 people aboard the dinghy. Ship-tracking data suggested the boat had set off near Utah Beach in Normandy that morning, though its departure point has not been confirmed. [1]

Police set up a cordon on Haslar Road. The BBC described the protest as mostly peaceful, but said some demonstrators stood in front of police vans and stopped them moving. Hampshire Police said officers had been deployed to support other agencies during a possible emergency at sea. It imposed conditions under the Public Order Act and restrictions on face coverings. [1]

The Home Office said it was vital to detain, check and process every small-boat arrival. The BBC put the provisional number of Channel crossings so far in 2026 at 19,451, down 43% on the same point last year. [1]

Update

The BBC reports that 11 men and one woman were arrested after Sunday's protest at a marina in Gosport, Hampshire. They were arrested on suspicion of offences including assaulting a police officer, affray and racially aggravated public-order offences. All 12 remained in custody at the time of its report. [2]

About 150 anti-migrant demonstrators were involved in the stand-off, according to the BBC. It described the protest as mostly peaceful, but reported that flares were set off, some people scuffled with police and others stood in front of police vans. The Home Office said 149 migrants had been rescued in the Channel by the RNLI and a French vessel; the BBC reported that they were later taken by coach to a processing centre in Kent. [2]

Hampshire Police said a small number of officers were treated for injuries at the scene, but nobody there was seriously injured. The force imposed conditions under the Public Order Act and used powers to prohibit face coverings. [2]

Update

Jamie Bennett, 38, of Whiteley, Fareham, has been charged with failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction after a protest in Gosport, BBC News reported on 6 October. He has been bailed to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 26 November. [3]

The protest followed a Channel rescue on Sunday. The Home Office said 149 people were picked up in an operation involving the RNLI and a French vessel and brought ashore at Gosport. [3]