A weekend of protests in Portsmouth and Dover has exposed deepening tensions over Britain's Channel crossings, even as the government insists arrival numbers are falling. #EuropeNews
Published on
07/09/2026 - 11:29 GMT+2
The UK government branded hundreds of demonstrators as "thuggish" after they blocked roads in an attempt to prevent asylum seekers leaving Portsmouth on Sunday.
The protest came after around 140 migrants arrived by small boat, as tensions over Channel crossings continue to mount.
"We condemn the intimidating and thuggish behaviour we saw in Portsmouth last night," a spokesperson for the UK's Home Office, said in a statement.
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