An anti immigration protest in the United Kingdom took an unusual turn on Tuesday when demonstrators gathered outside a hotel in southern England, mistakenly thinking that Pakistan’s Under 19 cricket team staying there were asylum seekers.

The incident took place in Portsmouth, just two days after protesters had attempted to disrupt the arrival of migrants near the port city. The earlier demonstration also resulted in clashes with police and was widely criticised.

Pakistan’s senior men’s cricket team is also currently in England, where they are playing the third Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Immigration has become a highly sensitive political issue in Britain, particularly because thousands of asylum seekers arrive each year on small boats from mainland Europe. The issue has led to repeated protests, with some demonstrations becoming violent.

According to media reports, Tuesday’s gathering began after posts online claimed that a coach carrying young Asian men had been spotted at a Marriott Hotel in Cosham, an area of Portsmouth. The reports prompted protesters to gather outside the property.

A councillor from Reform UK, a party known for its anti immigration stance, reportedly went to the location and helped calm the situation after establishing that the people inside were actually members of Pakistan’s Under 19 cricket team, The Guardian reported.

Police later arrived and spoke with people who had gathered at the site. According to a police spokesperson, the crowd had raised concerns about a coach that had been seen in the area.

Officers told those present that their concerns were based on incorrect information. The spokesperson did not specifically confirm that the Pakistani players had been mistaken for asylum seekers.

Around 30 people were present at the scene, and the group left shortly afterwards. Police said no offences were identified.

Michael Bradley, a national organiser with Stand Up To Racism, criticised the incident. He said it demonstrated the consequences of portraying refugees and migrants as a threat.

Bradley argued that the fact a Pakistan Under 19 team could become the subject of an immigration protest simply because people suspected they might be migrants showed how people from Asian and Black communities could potentially be targeted by far right groups.