Demonstration briefly disrupts ferry traffic between Britain and France as protesters call for an end to small-boat arrivals

DOVER, UK: Hundreds of masked protesters opposing migrant crossings in the English Channel blocked roads leading to the Port of Dover in southern England on Saturday, briefly disrupting ferry traffic between the United Kingdom and France.

The Port of Dover said traffic had returned to normal and was “free flowing” by around noon, after access to the terminal was stopped earlier in the morning when protesters blocked roads approaching the port.

Kent Police said no arrests had been made and confirmed that the demonstration, which had initially blocked all routes into and out of the terminal, had been dispersed.

Images circulating online showed hundreds of people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas gathering on roads around the port, a major ferry hub connecting southern England with northern France.

In a livestream that appeared to have been recorded by a protester, a crowd of men dressed in black could be heard chanting “stop the boats” while facing a line of police officers.

The disruption affected passengers travelling between Britain and France. One passenger told Sky News they had been “stuck on a boat in Dunkirk for over an hour and a half” because of the protest.

“Stop the boats? Wrong ones!” the unnamed passenger added.

Britain has faced sustained political pressure over small boats carrying migrants and asylum seekers across the Channel, with tens of thousands making the dangerous journey to the southeast coast in recent years.

The issue has become a major focus for anti-immigration and far-right groups, amid growing public debate over migration in the UK.

The centre-left Labour government has said the number of migrant boats crossing the Channel this summer was the lowest since 2019, attributing the decline in part to increased cooperation with the French government.

A UK government spokesperson condemned Saturday’s protest, while a Reform UK MP described the disruption as “disgraceful”.

Although there were no immediate reports of violence, several local politicians criticised the demonstration, particularly the presence of masked protesters, describing it as intimidating.

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, however, backed the demonstration, describing the participants as “British patriots” and saying they were sending “a warning shot to the establishment.”

The protest comes as the UK government continues efforts to reduce irregular Channel crossings and address the wider political dispute over migration and asylum policy.