Authorities imposed a wide-ranging police order across the entire town of Gosport, Hampshire, following new migrant arrivals that sparked protests and unrest over the weekend. The dispersal order, effective from Sunday evening until early Monday morning, banned gatherings and prohibited masks or face coverings during demonstrations, prompting warnings that residents could face arrest if they did not comply.

The move came after 149 migrants were brought into Gosport on Sunday aboard two Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) vessels after crossing the English Channel from Normandy. As the migrants disembarked near Fort Blockhouse, around 350 protesters gathered, leading to confrontations in which 12 people were arrested. Those migrants were subsequently transported by coach to a processing center in Manston, Kent.

Gosport’s Conservative Member of Parliament Dame Caroline Dinenage expressed sympathy for local frustrations while criticizing the government’s handling of the situation. She described the government as having “completely lost its grip” on managing the Channel crossings and argued that migrants should have been transferred directly to Border Force vessels for processing at Dover. She also cautioned that allowing landings at alternative ports signals to people smugglers the viability of new routes.

Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones also criticized the government, particularly the Home Office and Home Secretary, for failing to secure the sea border. She highlighted that this was the third small boat either arriving in or aiming for the area recently and noted that managing the protests had cost the local police force £500,000, a sum she said was unsustainable.

The town has seen heightened tensions since early May, when 140 migrants arrived at Eastney marina near Portsmouth. There have been reports of scuffles between police and protesters on prior occasions when small boats, believed to be heading toward Gosport, were intercepted and redirected, notably to Dover.

Among those arrested during Sunday’s protests were eleven men and one woman, charged with offenses including assaulting a police officer, failing to comply with protest conditions, criminal damage, and racially aggravated public order offenses.

Some demonstrators voiced distrust of the police’s handling of the events. One protester, Toby, a 26-year-old chef, claimed that the authorities were concealing information to avoid scrutiny, though he acknowledged that some protesters exceeded acceptable conduct.

Government officials stated that contingency plans were in place to ensure the secure disembarkation, processing, and checking of all migrants arriving by small boats, reflecting ongoing efforts to manage increasing crossings via less traditional routes across the Channel.

The recent arrivals have added to rising concerns about new migration pathways beyond the established Calais to Dover route, complicating efforts by local authorities to maintain order and manage public response in coastal communities.