Officers reported that they are “communicating with the protesters.”
Representatives of the Port of Dover stated that all traffic to and from the port “is suspended due to an ongoing public order disturbance incident.”
Footage posted on social media shows a dozen men dressed in black with covered faces standing across the main road near the port.
It is currently unclear what they are demanding.
The National Highways Agency reported that the protests caused a one and a half kilometer traffic jam, and travel times have increased to 45 minutes.
The company “P&O Ferries,” operating routes between Dover and Calais in France, announced that its ships are sailing according to schedule, and passengers who missed the ferry will be offered to travel on the next available crossing.
Protesters may be forced to remove masks
Many of the demonstrators gathered at the Port of Dover have their faces covered with balaclavas.
However, recent legislative changes have given the police the right to demand that protesters remove masks and other face coverings if officers suspect that people are trying to conceal their identity, writes “Sky News.”
Under the 2026 Crime and Public Order Act, officers at demonstration sites can establish “mask-free zones,” where wearing or using face coverings is considered a criminal offense.
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Those found guilty may face up to one month imprisonment and a £1,000 fine.
Location of protests against migrants
Dover, located about 110 km southeast of London, has previously been a site of protests against migrants crossing the English Channel from France in small boats.
Some politicians, including Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right party “Reform UK,” have exploited this issue. In a speech on Friday, he called the flow of asylum seekers an “invasion.”
The Labour government claims that enhanced UK and French law enforcement cooperation has helped reduce the number of people making this crossing by more than 40% this year compared to 2025.
Mike Tapp, a Labour MP representing Dover in the UK Parliament, criticized the protesters, calling them “idiots coming to Dover to cause chaos.”
“I bet if you asked any of these ‘protesters,’ they wouldn’t know that crossings by small boats have decreased by 40%, and we are working hard to solve this mess,” Mike Tapp wrote on Facebook on Saturday. “Go home, enjoy the weekend, or find a job.”
