How anti-migrant boat protests were organised and who is behind themImage caption, Protesters blocked roads near the Eastney Landing ferry port area in Portsmouth late on SundayByDaniel SandfordUK correspondentPublished19 minutes agoThis weekend saw hundreds of people take part in two anti-migrant protests. The men in balaclavas in Dover, and the crowd trying to block the migrant coaches in Portsmouth. But how are they linked? The answer is one man - Danny Thomas, more often known as Danny Tommo - and some apparently poor decision-making by Border Force officials.Portsmouth small boats protest 'a wake-up call for government', local police commissioner saysTrack UK's latest migration numbers - net migration, visas, asylum and small boatsPublished2 hours agoSaturday's protest in Dover saw men in black clothing and balaclavas block the town's main roads for several hours.It was organised by Thomas - seemingly after weeks of plotting over the summer - who comes from Hayling Island near Portsmouth.When Border Force then had to decide where to ask the RNLI to bring a boatful of migrants ashore on Sunday after an unusual longer English Channel crossing from Baie de Seine, it opted for the Eastney landing stage.The very place where the passenger ferry departs Portsmouth for Hayling Island.Whether this decision was made through ignorance or incompetence, it made it very easy for Thomas to mobilise his local support late on Sunday using social media.Thomas is a long-term campaigner against migrants and says he is a Christian."Christ is King!" was shouted alongside "Stop the boats!" at the Dover protest.He first came to public attention in 2016 when he was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to attempting to kidnap at knifepoint a man called Graham Page.When he left prison, he became a close associate of the anti-migrant and anti-Muslim activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.They appear to be less close now, though Robinson has expressed support for this weekend's protests.Image source, Lania TkaczykImage caption, Hundreds of masked men blocked roads and prevented access to the Port of Dover on SaturdayThomas has spent the last year filming himself harassing migrants on the beaches of France, and sharing the videos on social media.In July, he announced a new venture called Patriot Platform and has been drumming up support for what he called "mass resistance", without violence.In a video posted on Wednesday and apparently filmed with supporters in the north west of England, Thomas tells a group of men gathered on a playing field that "something is about to go down and men from all round the country will be involved in it".The Dover balaclava protest, well-organised and disciplined, was the group's first outing. It unlikely to be the last.He seems to be borrowing ideas from groups like Just Stop Oil. Strong visual protests, with maximum disruption.Kent Police described the protest in Dover as "spontaneous", but the force has since faced questions as to why it did not know about it in advance.The government has meanwhile condemned the "intimidating and thuggish behaviour" of protesters in Portsmouth.A spokesperson added: "The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder." Click to expand Tap the questions below How many people cross the English Channel in small boats? Between 1 January and 5 September 2026, a total of 16,513 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. This was down by 43% on the same period the previous year. These crossings have become the most common way for people to be detected entering the UK illegally since 2020. Nearly all those who arrive by small boat claim asylum. Under international law, this means they are allowed to stay in the country while their asylum application is considered. Small boat arrivals made up 40% of asylum applications between July 2025 to June 2026. Boats that arrived in the UK from 6 September 2025 to 5 September 2026 carried an average of 68 people. This has more than doubled since 2021. Experts say overcrowding in boats makes crossings riskier. At least 84 people died while attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, according to the United Nations (UN). When looking at the scale of small boats crossings, the number of these arrivals is about 5% of the size of total immigration into the UK from January 2025 to December 2025. The government has pledged to “smash the gangs” behind these crossings in order to reduce the numbers. Who is arriving in the UK on small boats? People from Eritrea accounted for 18% of all arrivals from July 2025 to June 2026. In the latest figures covering January 2025 to December 2025, at least 2,335 people who arrived by small boat were found to be potential victims of human trafficking or other forms of modern slavery, according to the Home Office. How else do people stay in the UK without permission? Another 4,712 people were detected entering the UK without permission via other methods including hiding in vehicles, travelling on ferries or through airports from July 2025 to June 2026. This was down by 17% on the same period the previous year. There are also individuals who arrive legally, for example via a work or study visa, and then overstay their limit. The total number of people who live in the UK illegally after arriving legally is not known. 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