# English Channel migrant crossing tensions

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/english-channel-migrant-crossing-tensions
> Updated: 2026-09-22T22:30:54.000Z. Sources: 17. Developments: 2.

The situation regarding migrant crossings in the English Channel has seen a shift from individual attempts to infiltrate smuggling operations to organized anti-migrant activism. Initially, accounts emerged of a British man attempting to join human smuggling operations by spending a year gathering intelligence and preparing to board a dinghy bound for Britain. He reported significant difficulties in navigating French beaches and communicating with traffickers. More recently, tensions have escalated through the actions of activist Daniel Thomas, also known as ‘Danny Tommo’. During a livestreamed event, Thomas was filmed using a blade to slash an inflatable dinghy containing lifejackets while a rescue worker was still on board, shouting, “Let’s get rid of that boat.” The Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants condemned the act as violent and dangerous. Following this, Thomas came under police investigation after footage of the incident reached approximately 100,000 viewers. In the video, Thomas is seen approaching a vessel carrying roughly 60 asylum seekers and shouting, “This is England. This is not France any more,” while repeatedly telling a rescue worker to “Get off the boat.” The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and French authorities have emphasized the dangers of such interference during life-saving operations. The incident coincided with organized anti-immigration protests in Gosport, Hampshire, where hundreds gathered to disrupt asylum seeker arrivals, though Border Force vessels diverted the group to Dover. Police have confirmed they are conducting enquiries and have made six arrests in connection with separate anti-migrant protests in the region, including charges for assaulting an emergency worker. In response to recent security concerns, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an urgent review by the Border Security Command following two instances where migrant boats reached the Kent coast undetected within a two-day period.

## Claims

- Daniel Thomas, also known as Danny Tommo, used a blade to slash an inflatable dinghy in the English Channel. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- Thomas shouted that the location was England and not France during the incident. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- Approximately 60 migrants spent between 33 and 36 hours at sea before being rescued. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Hampshire Police are conducting enquiries into the incident involving the slashing of the dinghy. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Six people were arrested for offences including assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass during a protest in Gosport. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood ordered an urgent review by Border Security Command following two undetected migrant boat landings in Kent. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Twenty-one individuals were detained following a boat arrival at Samphire Hoe, Dover. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- A man believed to be of African origin was found dead on a beach in northern France. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-22: Daniel Thomas under investigation after slashing migrant dinghy in English Channel

Activist Daniel Thomas is under investigation after slashing a migrant dinghy in the English Channel while a rescuer was onboard. Meanwhile, the UK Home Secretary has ordered a review of undetected boat landngs

16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/daniel-thomas-faces-condemnation-after-slashing-channel-dinghy

### 2026-08-25: British man recounts attempt to board migrant dinghy

A British man details his attempt to infiltrate human smuggling networks and board a migrant dinghy crossing the English Channel to reach Britain.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/british-man-recounts-attempt-to-board-migrant-dinghy

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Cite as: English Channel migrant crossing tensions. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/english-channel-migrant-crossing-tensions