Police have put a dispersal order in place across parts of Portsmouth until Monday evening after hundreds of protesters gathered on the seafront following the arrival of around 140 asylum seekers on the Hampshire coast.

A government spokesperson condemned the "intimidating and thuggish behaviour" of demonstrators who confronted police and shouted "stop the boats" in Eastney on Sunday evening, stating: "The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder."

The migrants, who were brought ashore by RNLI lifeboats, are being transferred to the Manston immigration processing centre in Kent.

According to the French maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea, the vessel launched overnight on Saturday from the west of the Baie de Seine, near Caen — roughly 170 to 200 nautical miles from typical departure points around Dunkirk and Calais. French authorities described the departure as "unusual for the area" and noted that those on board had refused assistance at sea before crossing into UK waters.

The dinghy was one of six launched over the weekend, with three confirmed to have entered UK waters by Sunday afternoon. HM Coastguard sent lifeboats, a helicopter, a fixed-wing aircraft, and rescue teams to the scene, working alongside Border Force, the Border Security Command, Hampshire Police, and the South Central Ambulance Service.

Following the arrival, around 500 demonstrators assembled in Eastney, blocking traffic along Fort Cumberland Road and prompting police equipped with riot shields to form a blockade. Daniel Thomas, an associate of Tommy Robinson also known as "Tommo" from the Patriot Platform, broadcast a livestream from the beach urging supporters to travel down and join the disruption, referencing an anti-migrant protest that blocked the Port of Dover the day before.

Local political figures were quick to respond. Councillor George Madgwick, the leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, posted on X that "over 100 migrant men" had arrived on the shore. Speaking from the scene, he said: "People are worried, people are concerned, people are not happy, and rightly so. It is a concern that this has come to Portsmouth, as this is now coming to different areas across the UK."

Councillor Madgwick also criticised border spending, adding: "Successive governments have let people down in this area and across the country. At the end of the day we've spent £1.2bn of taxpayers money, sending it to France to stop this precise thing, and we've not managed to stop it." He noted that the demonstration had caused disruption for coaches and medical services trying to access the port area.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the arrival "a joke" and argued his party is the only one that will send boats back, while Joe Robertson, the Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East, described a crossing so far west as "extremely concerning" and said he would contact the Home Office to determine whether smuggling gangs are opening new routes.

A Home Office spokesperson defended border operations, saying: "This Government is bearing down on dangerous small boat crossings and restoring control at our border. Joint efforts have seen over 48,000 crossing attempts prevented and 1,100 boats and engines seized since the election." The department added that crossings are down overall this year and cited a payment-by-results agreement with France to increase beach patrols by 40 per cent.

What we do not know yet is whether this crossing from the Baie de Seine marks an intentional, long-term shift in tactics by smuggling networks or an isolated run. I'll be tracking this story as further updates come in from the authorities.