Masked protesters halt access to Dover port amid anti-immigration tensions

Masked protesters blocked the road into the Port of Dover, stopping all traffic on Saturday. The disruption revived tensions over Channel migration even as ferry sailings continued and police engaged with the group.

In Short

• Police said they were engaging with protesters at the public order scene
• P&O Ferries kept Dover-Calais sailings on schedule despite road access disruption
• National Highways reported a 6.4-kilometre queue with delays reaching 45 minutes

Masked men blocked the entrance to Britain’s busiest ferry port on Saturday, bringing traffic in and out of the Port of Dover to a halt and causing long delays. Police said they were "engaging with the protesters", while ferry operator P&O Ferries said its services between Dover and Calais were running on schedule.

The protest came against the backdrop of earlier anti-immigrant demonstrations in Dover linked to migrants crossing the Channel from France in small boats. The crossings have become a political issue, with some politicians, including Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, raising it in recent days.

The Port of Dover said all traffic in and out "is stopped due to an ongoing public order incident". Footage shared on social media showed several dozen men dressed in black, with their faces covered, standing across a major road near the port. It was not immediately clear what they were demanding.

National Highways said the protest led to a 6.4-kilometre traffic jam, with delays of up to 45 minutes. P&O Ferries said its vessels were operating as scheduled and that passengers who missed their ferry would be offered the next available crossing.

Dover, about 110 kilometres southeast of London, has seen previous anti-immigrant protests centred on migrants arriving in small boats from France. Farage, in a speech on Friday, described the asylum seekers as "an invasion". The Labour government has said stronger law-enforcement cooperation between Britain and France has helped bring down the number of crossings this year by more than 40 per cent compared with 2025.

Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover, criticised "idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption". In a Facebook post on Saturday, he wrote: "I bet if you asked any one of those protesters' they wouldn't know small boat crossing are down by 40 per cent and we are working hard to fix the mess. Go home, enjoy your weekend/get a job." The protest disrupted access to the port, even as ferry services continued and police remained at the scene.

With PTI Inputs

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