MIGRANTS DEAD Two men die and women seriously burned in Channel crossing as 12 arrested at Gosport protest

Two men have died, and two women have suffered serious burns during an attempted Channel crossing, as police in Hampshire arrested 12 people following disorder at a protest over a separate migrant arrival. French authorities said the two men died after a small boat carrying around 90 people left the coast near Berck in northern France. Five people required treatment after coming into contact with fuel during the crossing. Two women suffered extensive burns and were taken to hospital, while two men — one in his 30s and another in his 40s — died. An investigation has been opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

149 migrants brought ashore in Gosport

The fatal incident was separate from another Channel crossing which resulted in 149 migrants being brought ashore at Haslar Marina in Gosport on Sunday night. The vessel was shadowed by French rescue vessels before being met by two RNLI lifeboats in English waters. The Home Office said the 149 people would be transported to short-term holding facilities in Kent for processing, including health, security and biometric checks.

Twelve arrested following protest disorder

Around 350 people gathered in Gosport as the migrants were brought ashore. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary later confirmed 12 arrests following disorder during the demonstration. The suspected offences included assaulting police officers, criminal damage, affray, racially aggravated public order offences and being drunk and disorderly. Police had imposed public order conditions and restrictions on face coverings as officers worked to keep routes around the marina clear. Flares were set off, and some demonstrators blocked police vehicles during the protest.

Police resources questioned

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said hundreds of officers had been required to police the demonstration. She said each such protest could cost around £150,000 and claimed officers deployed to the incident were therefore unavailable for other duties, including responding to emergency calls. Jones also renewed criticism of the reliance on RNLI crews and local police forces during Channel incidents and called for Border Force resources to be strengthened. The protest continued into the early hours of Monday before the crowd dispersed. The 149 migrants brought ashore at Gosport were subsequently transported to Kent for immigration processing. Provisional figures show 19,451 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2026, around 43% fewer than at the same point last year.