Two British nationals have been detained in France on suspicion of planning to join a banned far-right protest, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind.
The men, aged 35 and 50, were detained near Calais in northern France on Sunday after “broadcasting live videos” likely to incite hatred, authorities said.
Last Friday, French authorities issued an order banning activists from gathering for a “stop the boats” protest, nicknamed Operation Overload, due to take place in the areas of of Nord and Pas-de-Calais.
“These individuals were arrested during an identity check while they were posting a video on social media that allegedly contained discriminatory comments and attested to their potential participation in this organisation,” the Pas-de-Calais prefecture said in a statement.
“Although no large gatherings have been observed so far, several accounts posted messages this weekend indicating that the operation is continuing,” the statement continued.
It said that “these actions are part of a xenophobic and anti-immigrant ideology and create a clear risk of public disorder”.
Prosecutor Cecile Gressier told the BBC the pair were arrested on suspicion of “participation in a group with the intent to prepare acts of violence”. She said these were the first arrests of British far-right activists on these grounds.
Last week, French authorities said that anyone arriving from the UK to take part in anti-migrant demonstrations would be immediately deported. The two men are expected to be ordered to leave French territory and may be sent to an administrative detention centre with other migrants before being deported, police said.
Ten members of a British far-right group, “Raise the Colours”, were prohibited from entering France earlier this month after being accused of destroying small boats used by migrants attempting to reach the UK.
More than 41,000 people crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats last year, an increase on 2024 but fewer than the 2022 record, when more than 45,000 people made the crossing, according to the Home Office.
Far-right agitators have been travelling to France with increasing frequency in the past year. In December, The Independent reported how anti-migrant activists are increasingly making trips to locations such as Calais and Dunkirk to harass migrants and charity workers.
