Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Pakistan Under-19 Team Mistaken for Asylum Seekers in Portsmouth
A group of protesters went to a hotel in Portsmouth because they thought asylum seekers were staying there.
They had seen a coach carrying young foreign men.
The people at the hotel were actually Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team.
The team was in England to play youth cricket matches.
Councillor George Madgwick checked with the hotel and the team’s coach.
He told the protesters that they had made a mistake.
Police also spoke to the crowd, which soon left.
No offences or confrontation with the players were reported, although cricket officials reviewed security arrangements.
Around 30 to 50 anti-immigration protesters gathered outside a Marriott hotel in Cosham, Portsmouth, after reports of foreign men arriving by coach.
The protesters reportedly mistook Pakistan’s touring Under-19 cricket team for asylum seekers staying at the hotel.
Reform UK councillor George Madgwick contacted hotel officials and the team’s coach before telling protesters they had identified the group incorrectly.
Police said officers spoke with the crowd, explained that its concerns were unfounded, and saw approximately 30 people disperse shortly afterward.
The incident drew criticism from Stand Up To Racism, while cricket authorities reviewed the team’s welfare and security arrangements.
- Who
- Anti-immigration protesters, Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team, Hampshire Police, Reform UK councillor George Madgwick, and Stand Up To Racism.
- What
- Protesters gathered outside a hotel after reportedly mistaking Pakistan’s teenage cricket team for asylum seekers.
- When
- Tuesday evening according to most reports; one account describes the incident as occurring on Wednesday.
- Where
- Outside a Marriott hotel in Cosham, a northern suburb of Portsmouth, England.
- Why
- Online reports about a coach carrying young foreign or Asian men, operated by a company also used to transport asylum seekers, led protesters to believe migrants were staying at the hotel.
Critics of the Protest
Reported Concerns of Protesters
Basis for the gathering
Critics of the Protest
Stand Up To Racism said the incident showed where scapegoating refugees and migrants can lead.
Reported Concerns of Protesters
Protesters reportedly acted on reports that a coach carrying young foreign or Asian men had arrived at the hotel and believed asylum seekers were staying there.
Identity of the hotel guests
Critics of the Protest
The guests were Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team, making the protest a case of mistaken identity.
Reported Concerns of Protesters
The demonstrators believed the guests were migrants until Madgwick and police clarified that they were visiting cricketers.
Meaning of the incident
Critics of the Protest
Critics viewed the gathering as evidence of anti-migrant tensions and the risks of targeting people based on assumptions about their appearance or nationality.
Reported Concerns of Protesters
Madgwick said the incident reflected local concern about immigration after recent protests, while acknowledging that masked people gathering outside a hotel was far from ideal.
- Location
- Marriott hotel in Cosham, Portsmouth, England
- Crowd size
- Reports variously estimated around 30, 30–40, or 40–50 protesters
- Misidentified group
- Pakistan’s touring Under-19 cricket team
- Clarification
- George Madgwick confirmed the guests were cricketers after speaking with hotel officials and the team’s coach
- Police response
- Hampshire Police spoke to the crowd and said its concerns were incorrect
- Outcome
- The protesters dispersed within minutes or shortly afterward; no offences were identified
- Further action
- The England and Wales Cricket Board contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board about player welfare and reviewed security arrangements
Sources
Masked protesters mistake Pakistan U-19 cricket team for asylum seekers outside England hotel - Telegraph India
Anti-migrant crowd mistakes Pakistan U-19 squad for asylum seekers at UK hotel
Pakistan U19 Team Mistaken For Asylum Seekers In UK As Protesters Storm Hotel
Pakistan U-19 Cricket Team Reportedly Mistaken For Asylum Seekers As Anti-Immigration Protesters Gather Outside Hotel In Portsmouth
