On Sunday, a demonstration took place in Portsmouth following the arrival of a boat carrying roughly 140 asylum seekers at Eastney harbour. A group of protesters, described as black-clad, gathered near a local hotel under the impression that it was being used to house the newly arrived migrants. However, the protesters eventually dispersed after discovering that the hotel guests were actually members of the Pakistan Under-19 cricket team.

The incident highlights the heightened tensions in the city regarding immigration. While the protest was intended to block the movement of asylum seekers from the port area, the confusion led to an abrupt end to the gathering. The event has drawn official condemnation, with a spokesperson for the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, criticizing the demonstrators for engaging in intimidation tactics. No further incidents were reported following the realization of the error, and the cricket team remained the focus of the hotel's occupancy.