France’s interior ministry has announced a ban on 10 British anti-migrant activists who travelled to the country. Officials said they took action after reports that members of the Raise the Colours movement had conducted anti-migrant activities in France.
On Tuesday, “territorial bans were issued against 10 British nationals, identified as activists within the movement and having carried out actions on French soil”, the interior ministry said. In a post on X it said: “Our rule of law is non-negotiable. Violent and hate-inciting tactics have no place in our territory.”
The 10 people who have been banned have not been named and the actions that led to the ban have not been specified. The high number of asylum seekers arriving in the UK on small boats has fuelled anti-migrant rhetoric and harassment from the far right. In 2025 41,000 people crossed the Channel, the second highest annual total on record since crossings started in 2018.
Both Ukip, which describes itself as “new right”, and Raise the Colours, which has been linked to the widespread hoisting of union jack and England flags across the country, have travelled to northern France and livestreamed footage of themselves harassing asylum seekers waiting to cross the Channel.
Raise the Colours said the ban by the French authorities was “absolutely disgraceful”. A spokesperson said: “Raise the Colours is aware of public statements made today by the French interior ministry referring to administrative measures relating to certain individuals identified as members of Raise the Colours. … The organisation does not support violence or any unlawful activity. Our approach is founded on responsibility, restraint and compliance with legal frameworks.”
French authorities have previously opened an investigation into an alleged “aggravated assault” on people in a coastal area near Dunkirk in September. Georgie Laming, the director of campaigns at Hope Not Hate, welcomed the news, saying: “The Raise the Colours team have been harassing both migrants and charity workers in northern France for months.”
