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.
“At the time of issuing this statement, no formal notification has been received by Raise the Colours regarding any administrative measures. We understand that the statements refer to administrative decisions concerning specific individuals, rather than the organisation as a whole.”
They 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. Our approach is founded on responsibility, restraint and compliance with legal frameworks.
“This commitment is reflected in the structured recruitment and screening process we have put in place, designed to ensure discipline, appropriate conduct and adherence to the law by anyone associated with Raise the Colours.”
French authorities have previously opened an investigation into an alleged “aggravated assault” on people in a coastal area near Dunkirk in September.
Four men carrying British and English flags allegedly verbally and physically assaulted a group of people in Grand-Fort-Philippe, telling them they were not welcome in England.
In one video posted in November, a man filmed himself on a French beach, saying he had found a small inflatable boat buried in the sand and had cut it. “That is not going to England,” said the man.
In another post published earlier in November, the same man waded into the sea in France, shouting at people boarding an inflatable dinghy hoping to get to the UK. “You’re not welcome in our country,” he said, calling the passengers “potential rapists, murderers and child abusers”.
Georgie Laming, the director of campaigns at Hope Not Hate, welcomed the news. “The Raise the Colours team have been harassing both migrants and charity workers in northern France for months,” she said.
“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.
“Hope Not Hate have been monitoring and reporting on the movements of Raise the Colours throughout 2025 and we are pleased to see our work pay off.”
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
