Masked protesters gathered outside a Portsmouth hotel on Tuesday evening, believing asylum seekers were being housed there, only to discover the guests were Pakistan's Under-19 cricket team on tour in the United Kingdom.
A group of protesters assembled outside the Marriott Hotel in Portsmouth on Tuesday night after reports suggested that asylum seekers were arriving at the four-star establishment. The crowd dispersed once organisers confirmed the arriving guests were members of Pakistan's Under-19 cricket team participating in a tour of England.
According to accounts reported by British media outlets, the situation unfolded after approximately 40 men of foreign nationality arrived at the hotel via coach. George Madgwick, a Reform county councillor, was called to mediate between the protesters and the team's management. Madgwick told the Guardian that after speaking with the team's coach and informing the protesters of their error, the crowd left within minutes. He described the incident as "massively unfortunate," noting that residents in Portsmouth were "already on high alert" regarding migrant arrivals.
Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Sumair Syed told the BBC that during the incident, team members reported people "knocking on their doors," but the players "behaved responsibly and didn't escalate the situation." The ECB confirmed it was reviewing security arrangements for the remainder of the tour and had contacted the PCB. Syed characterised the incident as concerning but said the ECB had "assured us that every possible measure should be taken for the security of the escort." The Pakistan U19 team proceeded with their scheduled match the following day, securing a 177-run victory.
The Tuesday evening incident occurred amid broader anti-migrant tensions in Portsmouth. British media reported that hundreds of protesters had clashed with police on Sunday evening following the arrival of a boat carrying asylum seekers. Madgwick posted on social media on Wednesday that the Tuesday incident involved "a handful of people" who departed "swiftly" once they realised their mistake, and linked such protests to immigration policy, stating: "If Labour fixed the small boat crisis this issue would stop."