Around 140 migrants attempted to cross the English Channel from northern France to Britain today by boarding a single dinghy, just days after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to tackle the small boat crisis. The BBC reported that 140 people were crammed onto the dinghy, which was seen carrying men, women, and children wearing orange lifejackets as they waded into the water from Petit-Fort-Philippe beach in Gravelines. This incident comes after a protest at the Port of Dover in Kent yesterday by a hard-right faction linked to the Patriot Platform. The combined total number of crossings over the summer months has dropped to its lowest since 2019, but smugglers appear to be loading more people onto fewer, larger vessels.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Hundreds of masked men blocked roads leading to the Port of Dover, Britain's busiest ferry port, on September 5, 2026, disrupting traffic and causing a 4-mile-long traffic jam. The protesters, who were dressed in black and wore balaclavas, chanted "stop the boats" as they blocked key roads and linked arms across routes leading to the port. The protest was described as "exceptionally well organised" by Dover District Council leader Kevin Mills, who criticized the police response for being slow.
The disruption caused delays of up to 45 minutes for passengers and cargo vehicles heading for France. P&O Ferries, which runs services between Dover and Calais in France, said its boats were running on schedule, and passengers who missed their ferry would be offered the next available crossing.
The Labour Party government condemned the protest, saying it went beyond peaceful protest. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told the BBC that while peaceful protest was an essential part of British life, the "intimidatory behaviour" witnessed in Dover was unacceptable.
The police response to the protest is also under scrutiny, with some politicians questioning whether intelligence was missed and if extra police officers could have been drafted in from the Metropolitan Police to help deal with the disorder. Former Home Office minister and Labour MP for Dover and Deal, Mike Tapp, said he would be asking these questions.
The protest has been linked to a group called Patriot Platform, which is believed to have been founded by Daniel Thomas, an associate of far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Written for “Dover Port Protest Disruption” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 17 other(s) covering the same event.
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Around 140 migrants today scrambled on board a dinghy in an attempt to cross the English Channel to Britain, just days after Andy Burnham and Emmanuel Macron vowed to tackle the small boat crisis.
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Burnham → see → crisis
Pictures show men, women and children wearing orange lifejackets wading through the water in northern France before climbing onto an inflatable rubber boat.
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men → show → boat
BBC reported there were some 140 people crammed onto the single dinghy.
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BBC → report → dinghy
Some of the migrants had children sitting on their shoulders as they walked into the sea from the beach in Petit-Fort-Philippe, Gravelines.
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they → have → Philippe
It is not clear whether the vessel was intercepted and turned back.
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vessel → intercept → ?
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister and his French counterpart announced plans for a new 'surge team' to tackle migrant boats.
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Minister → announce → boats
It comes hours after a balaclava-clad mob – linked to the hard-Right faction Patriot Platform – was condemned by politicians for blockading the Port of Dover in a 'small boat' protest yesterday.
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mob → come → protest
Hundreds of protesters – dressed in black and wearing balaclavas – descended on Dover in Kent, bringing the port to a standstill after catching police off guard.
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Hundreds → dress → guard
Migrants today scrambled on board a dinghy in an attempt to cross the English Channel to Britain.
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Migrants → scramble → Britain
It is reported there were 140 people onboard
Pictures show men, women, and children wearing orange lifejackets wading through the water in northern France before climbing onto an inflatable rubber boat
Roads in the town were gridlocked for hours in the morning, with four-mile tailbacks forming.
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tailbacks → report → morning
Hundreds of holidaymakers missed their ferry crossings.
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Hundreds → miss → crossings
Reform UK's Robert Jenrick and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds were among the politicians to condemn the 'intimidating' group.
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Jenrick → condemn → group
Dover District Council leader Kevin Mills criticised police for their slow response to the 'exceptionally well organised' protesters.
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Mills → criticise → protesters
Mr Burnham said this week that 'headway' was being made on cutting both the number of people making the perilous journey and the number of overall crossings as he met the president on Thursday in No10.
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he → say → No10
While the combined total number of crossings over the summer months has dropped to its lowest since 2019, smugglers appear to have started loading more people on to fewer, larger vessels.
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smugglers → combine → vessels
The two leaders announced plans for a new 'surge team' of French police, funded by Britain, to tackle the growing use of 'mega-dinghies', carrying up to 230 migrants.
But government sources have admitted that it will involve just 45 extra officers and the Conservatives branded the plans a 'joke', arguing that rough weather was the main reason for the reduction.
Mr Burnham also used the meeting to press Labour's case for a Brexit 'reset' that would draw the UK closer to EU rules and regulations than at any time since it left the bloc.
During Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Burnham reiterated that Britain's decade of low growth 'has been partly a result of Brexit'.
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decade → announce → Brexit
'I do want a closer relationship – I will build on the work of my predecessor,' he told MPs, ahead of a UK-EU summit later in the year.
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he → want → year
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage this week pledged to stop the boats and cut the cost of living in the first 100 days of a Reform government.
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Farage → pledge → government
Migrants carry children on their shoulders as they attempt to board a dinghy in northern France
Some of the migrants had children sitting on their shoulders as they walked into the sea from the beach in Petit-Fort-Philippe, Gravelines
A migrant carries a child wearing a lifejacket on his shoulders as he wades through the water to board an inflatable dinghy from the beach in Petit-Fort-Philippe
The Reform UK leader will warn Parliament it could be forced to sit seven days a week to push through a blizzard of legislation designed to deal with the 'national emergency' facing Britain.
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it → carry → Britain
The agenda for Reform's first 100 days will include halting small boat crossings and scrapping green levies on energy bills to save the average household £250.
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agenda → include → 250
The party's Treasury spokesman Mr Jenrick vowed to use an emergency Budget to cut £80billion from public spending, half of it from the bloated welfare bill.
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spokesman → vow → bill
Mr Jenrick said the move would cut Britain's debt interest payments by £28billion a year and free up cash for tax cuts to ease the cost of living and kickstart economic growth.
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move → say → growth
Some 15,897 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, down 43 per cent on the same time last year, and an 18 per cent drop from the same point in 2024.
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migrants → cross → 2024
This is despite a record 230 people making the journey from France to England in a single boat last month.
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This → make → boat
