France has issued territorial bans against 10 British anti-migrant activists linked to the Raise the Colours movement, the interior ministry announced on Tuesday. The ministry said the measures were taken after reports that the individuals had carried out anti-migrant activities on French soil.
In a post on X, the ministry said: “Our rule of law is non-negotiable. Violent and hate-inciting tactics have no place in our territory.” The activists have not been named, and the specific actions that led to the ban have not been disclosed.
The move comes amid heightened tensions over Channel crossings, with 41,000 asylum seekers arriving in the UK by small boats in 2025, the second highest annual total since records began in 2018. Both Ukip and Raise the Colours have travelled to northern France, where they have livestreamed footage of themselves harassing asylum seekers waiting to cross.
Raise the Colours called the ban “absolutely disgraceful” and said it had not received formal notification. A spokesperson said the organisation always maintained that its activities must remain peaceful and within the law, and that it had a structured recruitment and screening process to ensure compliance.
French authorities previously opened an investigation into an alleged aggravated assault near Dunkirk in September, where men carrying British flags reportedly verbally and physically attacked a group. Georgie Laming, director of campaigns at Hope Not Hate, welcomed the ban, saying the group had been harassing migrants and charity workers for months and that the measure was timely given a recent recruitment drive.
