Migrants taken to Dover after more than 30 hours at sea

Migrants taken to Dover after more than 30 hours at sea Image caption, Protesters gathered in the Hampshire town of Gosport Published 23 September 2026 A total of 51 migrants have arrived in Dover on a small boat after spending more than a day at sea. The arrival in Kent at 00:30 BST on Wednesday came after hundreds of protesters gathered in Gosport, where it was believed they would be brought ashore on Tuesday evening. French coastguards said the boat left Normandy on Monday morning and spent more than 33 hours at sea "in precarious conditions", with those on board refusing help. Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage posted on social media , external she had made the case to the Home Office on Tuesday that the boat should not disembark in Hampshire. She said Border Force intercepted it that evening and took those on board to Dover by water. British rescue boats were sent to collect those on board, who were then transferred to Border Security Command. A government spokesperson said Border Security Command worked "around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival". The RNLI said it was tasked by HM Coastguard with assisting the people on board "out of concern for their safety and deteriorating health". Migrants could later be seen disembarking in Dover wearing orange life jackets and carrying personal belongings. Kent Police said about 20 people took part in a protest at the town's port, with officers blocking off a nearby road. No arrests were made, it added. Anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, shared a YouTube video of the boat from the Channel, which was live streamed to an audience of more than 15,000 people. Police said they are currently investigating part of the footage which appears to show him slashing at the inflatable vessel with a knife . There were no migrants on board at the time of the incident, as they had already been picked up by the RNLI lifeboats. Image caption, British rescue boats were sent to collect the migrants, who had been at sea for more than 33 hours It was initially expected the people on the boat would be taken to the Portsmouth area after local MP Dame Caroline said the Home Office had said this was "increasingly likely". Hundreds of anti-migrant protesters, surrounded by police, gathered near Gosport marina on Tuesday evening after the initial reports. A number of men wearing black, several with face coverings, were at the front of the crowd. Some were chanting "send them back". Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary said six people were arrested after protesters "became hostile towards officers". Two Salisbury men, 19 and 36, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. A 67-year-old man from Gosport was arrested on suspicion of careless driving and assault of an emergency worker. Two women, 32 and 31, and a 33-year-old man, all from Gosport, were arrested on suspicion of assault of an emergency worker. "They remain in custody at this time and our inquiries into these incidents continue," the force said. The migrant dinghy appeared to have set off from close to the village of Vierville-sur-Mer, west of Bayeux. It is rare to see small boat crossings depart from so far west. Earlier this month, a dinghy was met by lifeboats from the Isle of Wight having set off from the Cherbourg area, triggering protests in Portsmouth. It is thought to have made one of the longest journeys of any small boat in the Channel. Officials said at the time they believed it was a one-off rather than a sign of new tactics. Between 1 January and 27 September 2026, a total of 19,135 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. This was down by 42% on the same period the previous year. These crossings have become the most common way for people to be detected entering the UK illegally since 2020. Nearly all those who arrive by small boat claim asylum. Under international law, this means they are allowed to stay in the country while their asylum application is considered. Small boat arrivals made up 40% of asylum applications between July 2025 to June 2026. Boats that arrived in the UK from 28 September 2025 to 27 September 2026 carried an average of 67 people. This has more than doubled since 2021. Experts say overcrowding in boats makes crossings riskier . At least 84 people died while attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, according to the United Nations (UN). When looking at the scale of small boats crossings, the number of these arrivals is about 5% of the size of total immigration into the UK from January 2025 to December 2025. The government has pledged to “smash the gangs” behind these crossings in order to reduce the numbers. People from Eritrea accounted for 18% of all arrivals from July 2025 to June 2026. In the latest figures covering January 2025 to December 2025, at least 2,335 people who arrived by small boat were found to be potential victims of human trafficking or other forms of modern slavery, according to the Home Office. Another 4,712 people were detected entering the UK without permission via other methods including hiding in vehicles, travelling on ferries or through airports from July 2025 to June 2026. This was down by 17% on the same period the previous year. There are also individuals who arrive legally, for example via a work or study visa, and then overstay their limit. The total number of people who live in the UK illegally after arriving legally is not known. On Monday, some 17,480 migrants had arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel by boat so far this year. That total was 46% down from the same time last year. The National Crime Agency recently said the reduction was down to law enforcement activity, though one expert said other factors, such as improving security in Syria, may also be behind the decline . Many migrants come from some of the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world. They almost always ask to claim asylum once they are picked up by the UK authorities. On Tuesday, defence minister Luke Pollard insisted the UK's borders were secure after a migrant boat reached the Kent coast without being intercepted. Five people were detained and passed to Border Security Command after the dinghy made it to shore at Folkestone on Monday - the first undetected landing for a year. Additional reporting by PA Media. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook , external , on X , external , and on Instagram , external . Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk , external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. 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