Swedish scholar barred from UK ahead of talk with Palestine Action co-founder
Lund University academic Andreas Malm says he was denied entry to the United Kingdom after receiving a Home Office notice that his presence was not “conducive to the public good,” ahead of a scheduled speaking event with Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori.
Swedish climate scholar Andreas Malm, a professor at Lund University, told BBC Radio 4 that he was refused entry to the United Kingdom after the Home Office sent a notice stating his presence was not "conducive to the public good." Malm said the decision came ahead of a planned appearance at an event organized by a socialist magazine, where he was to speak alongside Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori about the war in Iran.
"I've been going back and forth to the UK for years, for decades, to do my scientific work, my archival research, my participation in conferences. This is the main purpose of my visit to the UK this time too," Malm said.
He added that the ban prevents him from conducting his academic work. When asked whether the restriction might be linked to his earlier comments describing Hamas’s October 7 attack as "an act of liberation," Malm replied that it could be.
Britain’s Home Office declined to comment on individual cases. The country's Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal next week on the proscription of Palestine Action under terrorism legislation, which makes expressing support for the group a criminal offence. The ban follows previous instances in which the UK barred left-wing figures, including Turkish-American media personality Cenk Uygur and his nephew Hasan Piker, from entering the country to speak at events.