An RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat that rescued 140 migrants in the English Channel was denied access to two major ports and had to bring the migrants to shore in a different location amid large protests. The boat was told it could not enter Southampton Port or Portsmouth Harbour in Hampshire, and faced the threat of legal action if it tried to dock there. Instead, the crew brought the migrants to Eastney, a coastal area in Portsmouth, which is several miles from the main ports. This decision came after officials from Southampton and Portsmouth denied the RNLI permission to use their ports for the operation. At Eastney, around 500 protestors gathered, clashing with police, firefighters, and Border Force officers who were present to manage the situation. The crowd reportedly blocked roads and created a tense atmosphere, with photos showing police using riot shields to form a barrier. The incident occurred just a day after a similar protest in Dover, where anti-illegal migrant demonstrators also gathered. A broadcast on a marine VHF radio confirmed that Southampton's Vessel Traffic Service and Portsmouth’s Harbour Master had denied the RNLI permission to enter their ports and their approaches. The RNLI was also warned that failure to comply with this directive could lead to criminal prosecution for the crew members involved. Associated British Ports (ABP), which manages Southampton Port, confirmed that the RNLI was informed they could not use the port because it lacked the necessary facilities to accommodate the migrants. They added that they would have assisted if there had been a safety issue or an official directive from authorities, which was not the case here. The Home Office criticized the behavior of the protestors, calling it “intimidating and thuggish,” and stated that all the migrants had since left the landing site and were being processed as usual. The RNLI is a well-known charity that has rescued over 36,000 people in the past year through its lifeboat and lifeguard services. The organization emphasizes that its crews respond to distress calls without discrimination or preference, focusing solely on saving lives at sea. This incident highlights the complex challenges faced by rescue organizations when dealing with both maritime emergencies and the political and social tensions surrounding migration.