Around 60 migrants 'determined to reach UK at all costs' taken towards Dover after 'refusing help' from French coastguard
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Around 60 migrants “determined to take all risks” are being taken to “Dover by water” after allegedly refusing help from the French coastguard, authorities said on Tuesday.
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The MP for Gosport said Border Force is taking those on board the small boat, which was intercepted in the Channel “to Dover by water”, amid concerns its passengers were going to disembark in the area.
In a post on her Facebook page, Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dinenage said: “I have just had confirmation that Border Force has intercepted the small boat that was reported as crossing the Channel earlier today and is now taking those on board to Dover by water.
“This is a good result. All day I have been making the case to the Home Office that this boat should not disembark in Gosport.”
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed in a statement that those in the boat and those on board “are no longer in our force area.”
Earlier, it had sent officers to Gosport and Portsmouth “in the event of any emergency at sea” and to “facilitate any peaceful protest”.
The migrant boat, which departed Normandy for Britain over 33 hours ago, was being shadowed by a French coastguard vessel while far right anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas, tailed behind in a speedboat.
British lifeboats were also deployed to the Channel by the RNLI as it appeared to be heading towards the UK.
French authorities said the vessel was “ill-suited” for such a crossing and warned its “occupants were weakened after more than 33 hours at sea in precarious conditions”.
In its statement, the Prefecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord said they refused help as they were “determined to take all risks to reach the United Kingdom”.
Earlier, the far-right activist known online as Danny Tommo claimed in a YouTube livestream that the migrant boat is heading “east down the coast” towards Hastings and away from Gosport.
Edited with new backing track for Fanny Tommo (AKA Captain Thugwash), Supreme Leader of the Nonce Bonnets. https://t.co/ji2hSfjXG7 pic.twitter.com/SpHWxObO8J
— The Rev. Anton Mittens 🌹👮🎓 (@MittensOff) September 22, 2026
Footage Thomas posted online earlier showed him slashing a boat in the Channel in a bid to scupper rescue efforts.
“The Maritime Prefecture of the English Channel and the North Sea reminds all seafarers and shipmasters of the duty to render assistance under international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR).
“Failure to comply with these obligations, or any interference with ongoing rescue operations, may be subject to legal proceedings,” the French coastguard said.
Dame Caroline said earlier that the Home Office warned it was “increasingly likely that a small boat will need to be disembarked in the local area in the coming hours”.
It comes after multiple large-scale protests in Portsmouth earlier this month in response to migrant activity.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “It drained valuable police resources with hundreds of police officers drafted in to keep the community safe.
“Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary cannot repeatedly divert its resources to manage landings the county was never designed to receive.”
Earlier, police had closed off the access road to Haslar Marina in Gosport and a large police presence was seen in the area.
Dozens of people gathered at the marina, with some standing over-looking the harbour to see if the migrant boat was approaching.
Donna Jones, the police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said she had urged Border Force transfer the migrants to Dover.
“Hampshire is not prepared or set up to process people travelling into Britain this way, and the burden on the police to deal with the arrival and potential protest activity is unsustainable,” she said.
She added: “Following the events of September 6 when a migrant boat was brought ashore to Portsmouth, I wrote to the Home Secretary to request immediate action to stop Hampshire becoming an established landing site.
“I am deeply concerned the Government has not been in contact with me about its plans to land crossings in Hampshire, whilst expecting me to pay for the policing response on behalf of the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“This is no way to run an operation like this.”
It comes after multiple large-scale protests in Portsmouth earlier this month in response to migrant activity.
Ms Jones said: “It drained valuable police resources with hundreds of police officers drafted in to keep the community safe.
“Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary cannot repeatedly divert its resources to manage landings the county was never designed to receive.”
Earlier, police had closed off the access road to Haslar Marina in Gosport and a large police presence was seen in the area.
It came as dozens of people gathered at the marina, with some standing over-looking the harbour to see if the migrant boat was approaching.