Protesters block roads in Portsmouth to protest the arrival of migrants by boat from France

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the city of Portsmouth, after migrants arrived by boat from France, before some of them blocked the road in front of buses that were carrying those arriving from the area.

Video clips circulating from the site showed protesters surrounding the buses and demanding that the migrants be returned to France, amid intense security deployment.

It was reported that about 500 people participated in the protest, while some of them closed roads close to the waterfront in Portsmouth, while videos showed tension between the protesters and the police, especially when buses transporting migrants passed.

These protests in the United Kingdom come at a time when the issue of migrants crossing the English Channel from France continues to raise widespread political controversy, as protesters demand the return of those arriving to France, while the British government continues to cooperate with Paris to limit the crossing of small boats.

In 2025, more than 41,000 illegal immigrants will arrive in the UK by boat, the second highest number after the record set in 2022.