Protests against illegal immigration escalate into clashes with police in Portsmouth

LONDON, September 7. /TASS/. Protests against illegal immigration escalated into clashes with police in the city of Portsmouth in southern England, The Daily Telegraph reported.

On September 6, illegal migrants were brought to Portsmouth from a vessel intercepted by UK authorities in the English Channel. Following this, spontaneous protests broke out in the port city, home to a Royal Navy base, with about 500 people participating. Protesters blocked access roads to the harbor, where the undocumented migrants are believed to be held. They are expected to be transferred from Portsmouth to Manston, where a migrant detention center is located. Police used pepper spray to quell the unrest, but protesters broke through into the small boat marina.

Earlier, Sky News reported that the UK had intercepted a boat with 140 undocumented migrants in the English Channel. The operation involved rescue boats, a helicopter, and an airplane from His Majesty's Coastguard. The intercepted vessel was heading toward the coast of the English county of Hampshire from the town of Jobourg in northwestern France.

Since 2018, more than 205,000 undocumented migrants have crossed the English Channel to the UK in inflatable boats. The problem of illegal immigration has worsened in the UK since its exit from the EU, despite the fact that illegal immigration was one of the main reasons for Brexit.