France has announced that ten far-right activists from ‘Raise the Colours’ have been banned from entering and living in France.
The group are accused of destroying small boats and harassing migrants on the coast of France – something authorities said amounted to ‘aggravated violence’.
In September, a group of four men waving the Union Flag attacked a group of migrants near Dunkirk and stole their belongings.
France’s Interior Ministry wrote: ‘Territorial bans were issued against ten British nationals, identified as activists within the movement and having carried out actions on French soil.’
The UK and France came to an agreement to return migrants who arrive in the UK illegally from small boats back to France last summer.
The ‘one in, one out’ agreement was announced during a state visit from French President Emmanuel Macron last month, as a new means of deterring people from taking the hazardous journey over the water.
The logic behind the deal is simple – adult migrants who arrive here illegally will be sent back across the Channel, and for every person returned, the UK will take in an asylum seeker from Europe.
Those asylum seekers must not have attempted to come over illegally, and will be subject to security and eligibility checks.
The Home Office believes fewer people will make the journey if they think they might not end up being able to stay, and this will end up bringing down the numbers.
Reports suggest the initial phase of the scheme could return 50 people each week – meaning just one in 17 would be affected, at the current rate of crossings.
The question of whether would-be migrants might think those figures are worth the gamble remains.
What is the ‘Raise the Colours’ movement?
The ten men banned from France over harassment of migrants are believed to be a part of the ‘Raise the Colours’ movement, which swept across the UK last year.
The movement sees England flags flown on flags, poles, and painted on roundabouts to share pride in their country.
But more broadly, the England flag is associated by some with anti-immigration sentiment, and it has featured heavily in protests at asylum hotels.
Several councils have taken action to remove the flags, citing issues like traffic regulations, sparking a number of incidents in which staff faced abuse or assault while carrying out the orders.
The raising of flags has continued to prove divisive in communities and a challenge for the Labour government.
Keir Starmer has said he is ‘encouraging of flags’, which he believes are ‘patriotic’ but sometimes used ‘for divisive purposes’.
He has argued the St George’s flag ‘represents our diverse country’ and that he would not tolerate people being “intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin’.
Grassroots supporters of the campaign have denied any motivation related to racism or far-right politics.
Anti-racist group Hope Not Hate has uncovered evidence indicating Operation Raise the Flags was founded by a long-time Tommy Robinson ally, Andrew Currien, also known as Andy Saxon.
A former top bodyguard for the EDL, and now security chief for Britain First, he has boasted on social media of supplying thousands of flags to local groups around the UK.
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