Around 50 people took to the streets in the British port town of Dover at the weekend to protest against immigration. Some waved English flags and held up banners saying "Stop the invasion" and "Defend our borders".
On Saturday (May 29), about 50 people joined a protest against the rising numbers of people trying to reach the UK by crossing the English Channel from France in small boats.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the demonstrators disrupted travel into the busy port by blocking trucks driving to a cargo terminal in Dover en route to France.
"A heavy police presence was in the area as authorities anticipated protests over the long holiday weekend that marks the unofficial start of summer," AP reported. Citing British media, the news agency dpa said that one man was detained.
Improving weather presumably emboldens irregular migrants to cross the 34-kilometer stretch of water between France and Britain. So far in 2021, more than 3,100 people have crossed the Channel in small boats, almost twice as many as during the same period last year.
In late April, 113 migrants on seven small boats arrived in Dover while some 72 were stopped from crossing by the French authorities. In early April, five people who said they were Moroccan were discovered hiding on board a ship bound for Dover.
dpa reported that on Saturday morning, border guards brought 25 people to Dover. They were wearing life jackets and COVID face masks, according to dpa.
Series of anti-migrant protests
Over the years, English nationalists have staged numerous anti-immigrant protests in Dover. Last September, two protests took place simultaneously, one in support of migrants and a second one protesting migrant arrivals across the English Channel. The latter resulted in clashes between protesters and police and, like Saturday's protest, brought traffic into the port to a standstill.
According to dpa, observers say the nationalist rhetoric of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government since Brexit is partly responsible for the ongoing protests.
Also read: Navigating the minefield of the UK asylum system
With AP, dpa