UK Minister Condemns Anti-Migrant Protests as Smuggler Arrests Rise 70%
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 7
UK Minister Condemns Anti-Migrant Protests as Smuggler Arrests Rise 70%
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 7
Summary
Sarah Jones said some anti-migrant protesters showed “intimidating and thuggish behaviour” over the weekend, marking the government’s sharpest public criticism of the demonstrations.
Jones said she did not want to dismiss legitimate public concern over small-boat crossings, framing the unrest as tied to pressure on the asylum and border system.
The policing minister said the government was trying to repair a “broken system” it inherited and intensify action against people smugglers.
Arrests across the smuggling system are up 70%, Jones said, as ministers try to show tougher enforcement while separating public concerns from protest violence.