Anti-immigration protesters gathered outside a Portsmouth hotel after mistaking Pakistan’s under-19 cricket team for asylum seekers staying there.
A crowd of about 40 to 50 people assembled outside the Portsmouth Marriott in Cosham on Tuesday evening, 8 September, after rumours spread online that migrants had been taken to the four-star hotel.
The group dispersed within minutes after being told by hotel staff and Reform UK councillor George Madgwick that the guests were members of Pakistan’s touring youth cricket team and their support staff.
The players have been using the hotel as their base while competing against England under-19s at Arundel, in West Sussex. The England and Wales Cricket Board has since contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board to check on the team’s welfare and is reviewing security arrangements for the rest of the tour. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/09/protestors-outside-portsmouth-hotel-confuse-pakistan-cricket-team-migrants))
Mr Madgwick, who leads the Reform group on Hampshire County Council, said he had been contacted after claims circulated that several coachloads of migrants were arriving at the hotel.
He said he spoke to the manager and the team’s coach before addressing the crowd outside. In a social media post, he wrote: “I visited the manager and the hotel explained it was a Pakistani cricket team staying. The cricket team coach came to speak to me personally and I saw proof.”
Mr Madgwick said the protesters accepted the explanation and left within five minutes. He later urged people not to attend the hotel, adding that the incident reflected the heightened tensions in Portsmouth after the arrival of asylum seekers by boat.
The mistaken demonstration came two days after about 120 migrants were brought ashore at Eastney, prompting a much larger protest in which hundreds of people gathered near the landing point. Police said officers were injured during clashes with demonstrators, many of whom wore black clothing and balaclavas.
Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said the earlier disorder had placed significant pressure on policing resources, while Chief Constable Alexis Boon said officers would pursue those responsible once they had been identified. ([hampshire-pcc.gov.uk](https://www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/police-and-crime-commissioner-donna-jones-reacts-to-protests-in-portsmouth-overnight))
The RNLI, whose volunteers helped with the rescue operation, said some staff had faced physical and online abuse. Its chief executive, Peter Sparkes, criticised people who “hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard”, describing the behaviour as “wholly unacceptable”.
The Pakistan under-19s are due to continue their tour with a one-day match against England at Arundel, followed by another fixture in Guildford on Saturday. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/09/protestors-outside-portsmouth-hotel-confuse-pakistan-cricket-team-migrants))
