Tensions rose in the Hampshire town of Gosport after more than 100 migrants who had crossed the English Channel were brought ashore at Haslar Marina.
The group, believed to number 149 people, had been rescued while travelling in a small boat from France. The vessel was reportedly monitored by French rescue vessels before RNLI boats met it in British waters and brought the passengers to Gosport.
News of the planned arrival drew a large crowd of anti-migrant protesters to the area. Police established a cordon around parts of Haslar Road and introduced conditions under the Public Order Act, including restrictions on face coverings.
The demonstration was largely peaceful at times, but tensions increased as protesters confronted police vehicles. Reports said some people set off flares and there were several scuffles between demonstrators and officers.
The Home Office said the migrants would be taken to short-term holding facilities in Kent, where they would undergo health, security and biometric checks as part of the normal processing procedure.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said officers had been deployed to Gosport to support partner agencies and maintain public safety during the operation.
The arrival is particularly notable because crossings this far west along the south coast remain relatively unusual. It is reportedly the third such crossing from the Normandy area in about a month.
The incident comes only weeks after another protest in Gosport linked to a suspected migrant boat arrival. On that occasion, the passengers were ultimately taken to Dover, and six people were arrested during the demonstration.
The latest figures cited by authorities put the provisional number of small-boat Channel crossings in 2026 at 19,451, which is lower than at the same point in the previous two years.