The French government has taken decisive action against a group of British activists, barring them from its territory. The interior ministry in Paris confirmed it has issued territorial bans against 10 British nationals identified as members of the Raise the Colours movement.
Official Action and Justification
On Tuesday, the French interior ministry announced the administrative measures, stating the individuals had "carried out actions on French soil." In a firm statement posted on the social media platform X, the ministry declared: "Our rule of law is non-negotiable. Violent and hate inciting tactics have no place in our territory."
The specific actions that triggered the bans have not been detailed publicly, and the identities of the ten individuals remain undisclosed. This move follows a period of heightened tension in northern French coastal areas, where asylum seekers gather before attempting the crossing to the UK.
Context of Rising Tensions and Far-Right Activity
The backdrop to this incident is the ongoing issue of small boat crossings in the English Channel. In 2025 alone, approximately 41,000 people made the journey, marking it as the second highest annual figure since such crossings began to be recorded in 2018. This situation has, in part, fuelled anti-migrant rhetoric and attracted the attention of far-right groups from the UK.
Both the Raise the Colours group and UKIP, which describes itself as "new right," have been active in northern France. They have been known to live-stream footage of themselves confronting migrants waiting to cross. In one documented incident from September, French authorities opened an investigation into an alleged "aggravated assault" near Dunkirk, where four men carrying British and English flags reportedly verbally and physically assaulted a group in Grand-Fort-Philippe.
Online content has further illustrated the nature of these activities. In a video from November, a man filmed himself on a French beach cutting up a small inflatable boat he found buried in the sand, stating, "That is not going to England." In another clip, the same individual was seen wading into the sea to shout at people boarding a dinghy, calling them "potential rapists, murderers and child abusers" and telling them they were not welcome in the UK.
Reactions from Raise the Colours and Campaigners
Raise the Colours responded to the French announcement by calling it "absolutely disgraceful." A spokesperson for the group stated that no formal notification had been received and emphasised that the bans appeared to target specific individuals, not the organisation as a whole.
The spokesperson added: "Raise the Colours has always maintained that its activities must remain peaceful and within the law. The organisation does not support violence or any unlawful activity." They pointed to a "structured recruitment and screening process" designed to ensure lawful conduct.
In contrast, the action was welcomed by anti-extremism campaigners. Georgie Laming, Director of Campaigns at Hope Not Hate, said: "The Raise the Colours team have been harassing both migrants and charity workers in northern France for months. With a recent recruitment drive intended to bring more people from the UK to France, there couldn’t be a more apt time to stop this harassment campaign from escalating even further."
She confirmed that Hope Not Hate had been monitoring the group's movements throughout 2025 and was pleased to see their reporting lead to concrete action. The UK Home Office has been approached for comment on the matter.
