The video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
Cllr George Madgwick shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) (Image: @georgedmadgwick)
A video viewed hundreds of thousands of times online has sparked outrage after appearing to show tents and packs containing clothing allegedly prepared for migrants brought ashore in Portsmouth. The footage, which has amassed more than 858,000 views and 200 comments on X, was shared by Councillor George Madgwick, leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, following dramatic protests in the city after around 140 migrants were brought ashore on Sunday.
In the video, a man and woman can be seen examining what they claim are supplies intended for migrants. The video shows a large empty tent and the pair show items including a pair of socks, flip-flops, boxer shorts and pyjamas. The man also alleged that clothing worn by arrivals had been placed into bio-clinical waste bags.
Sharing the footage online, Cllr Madgwick wrote:”EXCLUSIVE. Inside the migrant area set up in Portsmouth tonight. Looks like they had tents ready and look at these new clothes and pyjamas for them. Unbelievable.” The claims triggered a furious reaction online.
One social media user wrote: “Enough is enough.” Another branded the scene “outrageous”, while a third raged: “This HAS to stop.” Others went further, with some alleging of a “planned invasion”. One person questioned the timing of the video, writing: “When was that filmed as the migrants landed at 4pm so there still be clothes for them available late at night after they had been processed?”
The footage emerged after hundreds of protesters descended on Portsmouth on Sunday evening following the arrival of a dinghy the Hampshire coast. The group of anti-migrant protesters tried to block newly arrived asylum seekers from being processed on Sunday. They blocked roads for hours and had vowed to stay all night to prevent the new arrivals from being taken to a processing centre.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones said the government must respond to the evolving tactics of people smugglers, who are increasingly moving their operations away from crossings at the Strait of Dover.
The Conservative PCC said: “Last night we had mutual aid, public order police officers sent from police forces across the country including the Metropolitan Police Service. We also had a number of our own police officers, obviously, from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary trying to take back control of the roads, forming a line and holding a few hundred protesters back.
She warned that “this is just the start.” Donna Jones said: “This is just the start, if this continues, these numbers will grow from the protesters.”
The police and crime commissioner added: “Largely they were peaceful, they were making their point that they don’t want Portsmouth to become a destination”.
Treasury Chief Secretary Emma Reynolds told LBC Radio: “This is thuggish and intimidating behaviour. This is not peaceful protest.
“Obviously, as a politician, I absolutely support people’s right to peaceful protest. But this crosses a line and I just want to take the opportunity to thank the police and other emergency services who have brought this under control.
“We do not want to see this kind of behaviour anywhere, frankly.”
She added: “The British people do have legitimate concerns about immigration.” But “net migration is down” and “the level of boat crossings is at a seven-year low.”
Reynolds highlighted that criminal gangs were adapting their tactics by using larger boats, adding that authorities were adapting their approach accordingly.
The Express put the allegations raised in the video to the Home Office, which declined to confirm or deny the specific claims. A Home Office spokesperson said: “We condemn the intimidating and thuggish behaviour we saw in Portsmouth last night.
“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder. We thank the emergency services who safely managed this situation.
“This Government is doing the hard and necessary work of bearing down on small boats crossings, with the lowest number of June to August arrivals since 2020.”
The department added that all migrants brought ashore in Portsmouth on Sunday had left the landing site and were being transported for processing in the usual way.
The Home Office said every individual arriving in the UK illegally undergoes stringent security checks and added that joint work with France has prevented more than 48,000 crossing attempts since the election. Officials also said more than 80,000 people in the UK illegally have been removed or returned since the election, representing a 52% increase, while removals of foreign national offenders are up by 41%.