Footage appearing on social media sparked a heated discussion.
The empty coaches were escorted by police (Image: X/@georgedmadgwick)
A furious response erupted on social media to a video showing the massive motorcade intended to protect coaches for migrants. On September 22, a string of vehicles heralded by blue flashing lights was seen leaving Gosport, Hampshire, making its way along the motorway. It was a police escort of the buses intended for migrants that were supposed to arrive in Gosport on a small boath on the same day. However, the 51 migrants aboard the dinghy, who spent 36 hours at sea “in precarious conditions”, were eventually intercepted by the RNLI and instead transported “to Dover by water”.
Hampshire’s Reform UK leader councillor George Madgwick captured footage of the massive convoy leaving Gosport empty-handed, describing the situation as “unbelievable”.
He wrote on X: “Unbelievable scene. Coaches that were planned for migrants to get on in Gosport being escorted from Hampshire by a larger motorcade than what the prime minister or king would get. This has to be seen to be believed. The money spent.”
The post, which has had 1.2 million views, prompted furious reactions from some users, with one accusing the Government of “orchestrating illegal migration and not stopping it”.
Another user said: “I counted at least 13 from the side shot and 1 of them is an ambulance. Is it any wonder when my Dad had a stroke they told us an ambulance couldn’t attend so we had to take him in the car and then you see economic migrants who broke into this country being escorted in.”
However, many users said that the police escort was needed because of violent anti-immigration protests, rather than the migrants themselves.
One user responded to Cllr Madgwick by writing: “People like you are trying to attack refugees. We wouldn’t need the police if you wound your substantial neck in.”
Another user said: “The large police presence was there to protect the coaches and their occupants from protesters, rather than because transporting migrants somehow requires a royal-sized motorcade.”
On Tuesday, police arrested six anti-migrant protesters in Gosport in response to reports of a small boat crossing the English Channel on Tuesday 22 September.
At the height of the protest, around 200 people gathered near the Haslar Marina in Gosport. A legion of people dressed in black, several with face coverings, was heard chanting “send them back” as the vessel approached.
Hampshire Police said some “became hostile towards officers”, and they arrested six people for offences including assaulting an emergency worker, aggravated trespass and careless driving.
The force also sent officers to Portsmouth, and said it was also investigating a video showing “damage being caused to a boat in the English Channel”.