Ten British 'far-right activists' banned from France over 'reconnaissance and destruction' against small boats

Ten British "far-right activists" have been banned from France for "reconnaissance and destruction activities" against small boats used in migrant crossings.

The country's interior ministry said in a statement that the individuals were identified as part of the Raise the Colours movement.

Raise the Colours told Sky News it has not received formal notification of the bans, and said it "has always maintained that its activities must remain peaceful and within the law".

The French ministry said the 10 "engaged, in particular, in reconnaissance and destruction activities targeting small boats, as well as in propaganda activities along the French coastline".

It said those banned on Tuesday were "far-right activists" who took part in operations in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais areas in December.

The 10, which have not been named, are now prohibited from entering and staying in France.

"These actions were aimed at a British audience, calling on them to bolster the ranks of the movement in order to put an end to migration," the ministry added.

Videos posted by Raise the Colours on X in December, seen by Sky News, show some members of the group saying they are in France to stop small boats used by migrants from illegally crossing the English Channel.

One video, posted on 5 December, shows an inflatable small boat destroyed, with the caption: "Some people say 'Stop The Boats' we actually STOP THE BOATS."

Sky News could not verify the location of that post. Other posts by the account, under what it calls Operation Overload, suggest the videos online are filmed in France.

The group came to prominence last summer as part of a collective movement to display the Union Flag and St George's flag - which do not often appear outside sporting, royal or military events - across the country.

According to its website, Raise the Colours is a "lawful, civic movement", but added "individuals connected to our movement have filmed and recorded events in northern France in order to uncover and expose what is happening around illegal Channel crossings".

It says it does "not encourage, endorse or support anyone travelling to France, approaching migrant vessels, or attempting to intervene in crossings".

"Any individual choosing to travel abroad or take physical action does so entirely on their own initiative and without our support, approval or encouragement," it added.

In a statement to Sky News about the bans, Raise the Colours said: "At the time of issuing this statement, no formal notification has been received by Raise the Colours regarding any administrative measures."

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The group said it understands "the statements refer to administrative decisions concerning specific individuals, rather than the organisation as a whole," and added that "any official correspondence will be reviewed if and when it is received through the appropriate channels".

It then reiterated that Raise the Colours "has always maintained that its activities must remain peaceful and within the law" and it "does not support violence or any unlawful activity" - citing a "structured recruitment and screening process we have put in place".

"We respect the authority of national governments to maintain public order and will continue to act responsibly and diligently moving forward in our endeavours to stop the illegal invasion of our country."

Sky News has contacted the Home Office for comment.

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