Masked Anti-Immigration Protesters Block Roads To UK’s Dover Port, Trigger Traffic Chaos

Masked anti-immigration protesters blocked roads leading to the Port of Dover, Britain’s busiest ferry port, on Saturday, briefly halting traffic and causing long queues as police responded to what officials described as a public order incident.

Videos shared on social media showed several dozen men dressed in black, with their faces covered, standing across a major road near the port. One video showed demonstrators linking arms and shouting “stop the boats”, referring to migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Kent Police said officers were engaging with the protesters, while the Port of Dover said all traffic in and out had been stopped because of the ongoing incident. By late morning, the port said one road had reopened.

The National Highways agency reported a 6.4 kilometre traffic jam on Saturday morning. P&O Ferries, which operates services between Dover and Calais in France, said its sailings were running and passengers who missed a ferry would be offered the next available crossing.

Conservative local councillor Chris Vinson described the demonstration as apparently linked to illegal immigration. He said there had been no reports of violence but called the sight of men wearing black paramilitary style clothing and balaclavas blocking vehicles “extremely intimidating”.

The disruption hit a crucial transport hub. The Port of Dover handled more than 9 million passengers and 2 million freight vehicles in 2025, underlining its importance to Britain’s cross Channel trade and travel.

Dover has previously witnessed anti immigrant demonstrations linked to small boat arrivals from France. The issue has also become a major political flashpoint, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage describing asylum seekers arriving by boat as “an invasion” in a Friday speech.

The Labour government says increased law enforcement cooperation with France has helped reduce Channel crossings by more than 40 per cent this year compared with 2025.

Labour MP Mike Tapp, who represents Dover, sharply criticised the protesters, calling them “idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption”. He said the demonstrators appeared unaware that small boat crossings had fallen by 40 per cent and told them to “go home” and “get a job”.