Anti-immigrant Protesters Mistake Pakistan Under-19 Cricket Team for Asylum Seekers

A group of anti-immigrant protesters gathered outside a Marriott hotel in Portsmouth after mistakenly believing the Pakistan Under-19 cricket team were asylum seekers. The incident occurred on Tuesday or Wednesday, as a crowd of up to 50 people gathered following reports that approximately 40 foreign men had arrived at the hotel. One source noted that disinformation spread on X, with a local user claiming four coachloads of migrants were being loaded into the hotel. Councillor George Madgwick, a Reform UK representative, mediated the situation by contacting the hotel manager and the team coach. He informed the protesters that the guests were a cricket club, leading the group to leave within minutes. Madgwick noted that the confusion likely arose because the coach used by the team was the same brand, model, and color as one used to transport migrants previously. Reports also mentioned drones circling the hotel during the demonstration. In response, the England and Wales Cricket Board has contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board to check on the team and review security arrangements for the remainder of the tour. The incident took place amid broader tensions in Portsmouth, where police have been deployed following clashes between far-right activists and authorities over the arrival of migrants and the activities of the RNLI.