Swedish climate scholar Andreas Malm decries UK travel ban as authoritarian drift
Andreas Malm says the UK Home Office revoked his travel authorisation without explanation, linking the decision to his planned appearance with a Palestine Action co-founder, and warns it signals a broader trend against dissenting voices.
Swedish climate academic Andreas Malm said the UK Home Office revoked his electronic travel authorisation (ETA) and barred him from entering the country, describing the move as a "drift into authoritarianism." Malm, author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, told Radio 4’s Today programme that he was only informed his presence was "not considered to be conducive to the public good," and that he had been kept in the dark about the specific reasons.
He suggested the ban was tied to his scheduled participation in a London panel alongside Huda Ammori, a co-founder of the proscribed group Palestine Action, saying, "> I cannot see any other explanation than the scheduled appearance of me on stage for a panel on Wednesday evening in London, together with Huda Ammori. That … makes me somehow a terrorist or associated with terrorism, and therefore barred from travelling to the UK. That's pretty scandalous."
Malm confirmed he would still address the event via video link, organised by Tribune magazine, and denied any financial support for Palestine Action, noting his long-standing advocacy for Palestinian rights. He added, "> You might be able to guess my opinions and sympathies," and later, "> I’ve done nothing in public that is associated with Palestine Action. I have not publicly supported them or promoted them in any way."
A Home Office spokesperson said individual cases could not be discussed, while a source explained that ETA refusals are based on assessments of potential risk to UK society. Malm said he has received no clarification despite requests for an explanation.
The ban has drawn criticism from writers, politicians and activists. Author Sally Rooney called it a "sad and frightening act of cultural self-harm," and Green Party leader Zack Polanski likened it to an "extraordinary attack on free speech." Labour MP Clive Lewis warned that barring academics for political views raises alarm bells, and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell described the decision as "dangerous farce." Huda Ammori also condemned the action, calling it an "attack on free speech" and urging the ban be overturned.