Six arrested in Gosport as migrant boat reaches Dover
The six remained in custody after some of those who had gathered in the town turned hostile towards officers, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.
A boat carrying migrants across the English Channel arrived in Dover in the early hours of 23 September, hours after six people were arrested in Gosport, Hampshire, where it had been expected to dock.
Fifty-one people were brought ashore after the boat headed east along the coast, the PA news agency reported. The group had refused help from the French coastguard.
The boat set off from the Normandy coast on 21 September and was at sea for more than 33 hours, French maritime officials reported, with around 60 people on board.
The RNLI, which took the occupants off the dinghy over concerns for their safety, gave a figure of 36 hours.
The Home Office had said a landing in the Gosport area was “increasingly likely” within hours, and protesters gathered in the town to wait for the boat.
After news that the boat would dock elsewhere, some of those who stayed in Gosport turned hostile towards officers, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.
“As a result, six people were arrested for offences including careless driving, assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass. They remain in custody at this time and our enquiries into these incidents continue.”
Officers were also looking into a video circulating online relating to damage caused to a boat in the English Channel on the afternoon of 22 September.
“We are aware of a protest currently taking place at the Port of Dover. Officers are in attendance and engaging with protesters,” Kent Police said.
Around a dozen protesters were in the area as the migrants came ashore in orange life jackets, carrying their belongings, and police had blocked off a nearby road.
The government said Border Security Command “works around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.”