Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she would support a ban on face coverings at protests if police deemed it necessary. Her comments came after men in black clothing and balaclavas blocked main roads in Dover on 5 September for several hours.
Badenoch acknowledged the right to protest but added she was "not a fan of face coverings", warning that they could be used to conceal criminal activity. "What I don't want to see is people using protest as a cover for committing crimes and believing that they can hide from them," she said.
Kent Police confirmed they were reviewing whether to order the removal of face coverings under existing legislation. Badenoch said the real issue was the border problem, insisting the UK must stop the boats and that she had a plan to do so. She also urged the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights to enable deportations and detentions of those deemed illegal.
The Home Office highlighted that small‑boat crossings in the first half of 2026 were down 41% from the previous year, citing joint efforts that prevented over 48,000 crossing attempts and seized 1,100 boats and engines since the election. It noted the lowest number of crossings in July since 2020 and a new payment‑by‑results deal with France that added 40% more boots on French beaches.
French authorities reported 4,300 crossing attempts and 185 small‑boat launches stopped in the first three months of the new UK‑France agreement. The National Crime Agency said enforcement actions targeting the supply of boats and engines had been key to reducing crossings.
As the debate over protest regulations continues, Badenoch remains firm that border control measures must be strengthened to curb illegal crossings and associated unrest.
