Man who filmed migrants arriving in Dover is arrested for ‘breach of the peace’ while recording video of them being loaded onto bus by border force
- Social media user Active Patriot recorded the group as they waited in a car park
- Immigration officers told him to put down the camera but he continued to record
- One of the officers arrested the man for ‘breaching the peace’ and ‘trespassing’
- But questions have now been raised to why, when he did not appear to break law
- It came as a record number of migrants flooded UK beaches, with 235 in 17 boats
A man has been arrested for ‘breach of the peace’ after filming migrants boarding a coach in Dover.
Social media user Active Patriot was recording the group as they waited in a car park in the Kent town.
Immigration officers told him to put down the camera but he continued, adding: ‘It’s about showing the world what is going on’.
One officer said: ‘Leave them alone, they’re not doing anything to you.’ The man was then arrested for breaching the peace and trespassing.
But questions have been raised as to why he was detained during the incident yesterday when he did not appear to have broken the law.
It came as a record number of migrants flooded UK beaches, with 235 in 17 vessels making the perilous crossing from France.
Social media user Active Patriot was recording the group as they waited in a car park in the Kent town
Immigration officers told him to put down the camera but he continued, adding: ‘It’s about showing the world what is going on’
Footage shows the man filming eight migrants and two immigration officers as they are waiting to get on to the coach.
But one of the officers turns away from the bus and marches over to Active Patriot, whose real name is unclear.
The official arrests him for breaching the peace and trespass, while the camera man protests.
Active Patriot says: ‘Get your hands off me. Get your hands off me. Breaching the peace? Mate I’ve got this on camera.’
The social media user adds: ‘Breaching the peace, I’ve been arrested, I haven’t done anything…’
One officer said: ‘Leave them alone, they’re not doing anything to you.’ The man was then arrested for breaching the peace and trespassing
His camera then appears to tumble as he is taken away by the immigration officer.
There was an immediate backlash on Twitter as users asked why he was arrested when he was on public property.
UK law states people can film in public places and is only contravening privacy laws when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
And breach of the peace is only for when a person or property is likely to be, or has been, harmed.
Over 100 more migrants landed in Dover this morning as Rishi Sunak threatened to send in the Royal Navy to help turn back the ‘tide’ of boats.
The number who have reached Britain so far this year is now already double the total who arrived in the whole of 2019
A Border Force officers escort a group of men thought to be migrants to a waiting bus after they were brought into Dover this morning
Among them was a group of 12 men in their 20s, who were on a small vessel that was intercepted by Border Force officers.
They were given face masks and were seen being bundled into a bus in the Kent town at around 10.30am.
Mr Sunak today promised swift action to turn back the ‘tide’ of migrant boats heading for the UK from France as he refused to rule out using the Royal Navy.
The Chancellor said people were right to be ‘frustrated’, the day after 235 migrants in 17 vessels made the perilous crossing – the highest daily total since the crisis began.
The figure, which surpasses the previous record of 202 set on Thursday last week, prompted orders to officials to draw up plans in which, for the first time, the Navy could turn back boats.
The number who have reached Britain so far this year is now already double the total who arrived in the whole of 2019.
A Port of Dover Police spokesman said: ‘We can confirm there was an arrest but as it’s an ongoing police investigation, we are unable to comment further I am afraid.’