Swedish academic denied UK entry before planned Palestine event in London

Travel authorisation revoked

Malm said he received an email on Wednesday telling him that his Electronic Travel Authorisation had been revoked. He told Al Jazeera he had used the authorisation to visit the UK in May and had received no warning that it might be cancelled.

The Home Office told him he would need to apply for a visa to visit. It said it would consider his circumstances in more detail before deciding. The UK government website gives a three-week processing time for a standard visitor visa, so he would not receive one before the panel, even if approved.

Panel planned in London

The UK has proscribed Palestine Action as a “terrorist” group. The article says the proscription places it on the same legal list as al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), and that rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned the move.

Government gives no clarification

Al Jazeera asked the Home Office why Malm’s travel authorisation was cancelled and whether the decision was related to the event. The office had not replied by publication time.

Malm said he had visited the UK regularly for decades and had always been public about his position on Palestine. He told Al Jazeera the decision was about reducing the space for exchanging views and ideas.

Academic criticises the decision

Gareth Dale, a reader in political economy at Brunel University of London, told Al Jazeera the decision pointed to continued limits on free speech under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Dale said no reason had been given for the ban and described it as “cynical and Kafkaesque.” He said Malm had committed no crime, leaving the motives unclear, and argued that the government was repeating policies associated with the Starmer era.