France bans 10 British far-right activists over attacks on migrant boats
France barred ten British Raise the Colours activists accused of destroying migrant boats and harassing asylum seekers on northern coasts, calling violent, hate-inciting actions unacceptable.
Overview
France's interior ministry issued territorial bans Tuesday, prohibiting ten British nationals identified as Raise the Colours activists from entering or staying in France for alleged anti-migrant actions.
Authorities accused the group of hunting for, disabling and destroying small boats used by migrants crossing the English Channel and conducting propaganda aimed at recruiting supporters in Britain.
French investigators opened probes after reports including an alleged aggravated assault near Dunkirk and videos showing activists damaging boats and confronting migrants on beaches.
Raise the Colours denied receiving formal notification and insisted its actions are peaceful and lawful, while campaigners and charities say harassment of migrants has escalated.
Interior Minister stressed France's rule of law is non-negotiable; the move seeks to curb violent, hate-inciting activity amid record Channel crossings — about 41,000 in 2025.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a law-enforcement response to violent, ideologically driven actions: they foreground the French Interior Ministry’s ban and charged language (“far-right,” “anti-migrant,” “hunting…destroying small boats”), emphasize cross-Channel migration statistics, and omit direct response or contextualizing perspective from the British group.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Raise the Colours is a British grassroots movement that started in Birmingham with a national flag-raising campaign to show national pride, but has been accused of anti-migrant actions including finding, disabling, and destroying small boats used by migrants crossing the English Channel from France.
The activists were accused of hunting for, disabling, and destroying small boats used by migrants, conducting propaganda to recruit supporters, an aggravated assault near Dunkirk in September, puncturing inflatable boats on beaches, and shouting at migrants.
Raise the Colours denied receiving formal notification, stated the ban concerns specific individuals not the group as a whole, and insisted it does not support violence or unlawful activity, claiming its actions are peaceful and lawful.
France saw record Channel crossings of about 41,000 in 2025, which has become a focal point for British voters, fueling frustration among the far-right and boosting anti-immigration parties like Reform UK.
France's Interior Ministry issued territorial bans on the ten British nationals, with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stating that France's rule of law is non-negotiable and violent or hate-inciting actions have no place on its territory.
History
This story does not have any previous versions.