Hampshire Man Charged After Anti-Migrant Protest Erupts Over Gosport Migrant Landings

A 38-year-old man has been charged in connection with a protest that broke out in a Hampshire coastal town after a large group of migrants was brought ashore during a mid-Channel rescue operation, police have confirmed.

Jamie Bennett, of Thyme Avenue in Whiteley, Fareham, faces a single charge of failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction. He has been released on bail and is scheduled to appear before Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on 26 November.

The charge follows a demonstration on Sunday evening in Gosport, where about 150 people gathered in opposition to the arrival of 149 migrants who had been rescued in the English Channel.

According to the Home Office, the migrants were picked up during a multi-agency operation involving the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and a French vessel. They were subsequently brought into Gosport harbour aboard an RNLI lifeboat before being transferred by coach to a processing centre in Kent.

The arrival triggered a tense stand-off on Haslar Road, where demonstrators set off flares and clashed with officers. Footage and eyewitness accounts described scuffles breaking out as police attempted to manage the crowd. Some protesters positioned themselves in front of police vans to block their movement, chanting slogans including "shame on you" and "deport the lot".

Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that 12 people were arrested in total — 11 men aged between 22 and 59, and one woman aged 57. The suspected offences range from assaulting police officers and affray to racially aggravated public order and criminal damage.

Among those detained was a 59-year-old man from Gosport, arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order, and a 39-year-old man from Emsworth, suspected of criminal damage, attempted criminal damage and possession of a pyrotechnic article at a protest.

A 29-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a highway after ambulances were reportedly prevented from travelling along Clayhall Road — an allegation that raises serious concerns about emergency access during the disorder.

Others arrested include a 42-year-old man from Fareham on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, a 22-year-old man from Gosport on suspicion of affray and racially aggravated public order, and a 56-year-old man from Gosport on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

A 57-year-old woman from Emsworth was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. Three further men — aged 36, 35 and 45 — face allegations including assault by beating of an emergency worker, criminal damage and failing to comply with a dispersal order. A 29-year-old man from Portsmouth was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction.

Police said the remaining ten men and one woman have all been bailed pending further inquiries. In addition to the arrests, five people were issued with Section 35 dispersal notices, a power that allows officers to direct individuals to leave a specified area to prevent harassment, alarm or distress.

A small number of officers sustained injuries during the disturbance but were treated at the scene, and none were seriously hurt, according to the force.

The Home Office declined to explain why Gosport had been selected as the landing point on this occasion, stating only that it does not comment on "operational processes". The decision has nonetheless fuelled local frustration, particularly given that a similar incident occurred just last month.

In September, more than 100 migrants landed at Eastney in Portsmouth, an event that also led to confrontations between police and demonstrators. The recurrence of such scenes within weeks has intensified debate in the region about how migrant arrivals are managed and communicated to local communities.

The wider context is one of sustained pressure on the Channel crossing system. Small boat arrivals have remained a contentious political issue, with successive governments promising tougher measures while local authorities and emergency services grapple with the practical consequences of sudden landings.

For residents in towns like Gosport, the sight of lifeboats discharging large groups of people late at night can be unsettling, especially when official explanations are withheld. The Home Office's refusal to clarify the reasoning behind the location choice has done little to ease those concerns.

Legal experts note that failing to comply with a prohibited assembly direction is a public order offence that can carry significant penalties, including fines or, in serious cases, imprisonment. The charge against Bennett is the first to be formally brought following Sunday's events, though further charges could follow as investigations continue.

The case will now proceed through the magistrates' court, where Bennett is expected to enter a plea. Meanwhile, Hampshire Constabulary has indicated that its inquiries into the broader disorder remain ongoing.

Community leaders and local representatives have called for calm, urging residents to avoid conflating legitimate concerns about immigration policy with disorderly conduct. At the same time, some argue that the lack of transparency around migrant processing and landing sites is itself a driver of public anger.

The Gosport protest is the latest in a series of flashpoints across the south coast, reflecting a broader national tension that shows little sign of abating. How authorities balance operational secrecy with community reassurance will likely remain a central question in the weeks ahead.