UK Visa Denial: Swedish Academic Cites Panel With Palestine Action Founder as Cause

Andreas Malm, a senior lecturer in human ecology at Lund University in Sweden, has been barred from entering the United Kingdom. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on October 30 that the Home Office sent him a letter stating his presence was "not conducive to the public good." The notice provided no further details regarding the specific reasons for the denial.

Malm stated he could not find any explanation for the decision other than his scheduled appearance on a panel with Huda Ammori. Ammori is a co-founder of Palestine Action, a group designated as a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK. The event was organized by the left-wing magazine Tribune and was set to take place in London.

The academic emphasized that he is not a member of Palestine Action. He said he had never publicly endorsed the group nor provided it with financial support. "The only link to Palestine Action is her as a person," Malm said. He criticized the government's move as a case of "guilt by association." He described the decision as a "severe restriction on the free exchange of ideas."

Malm has requested an explanation from the Home Office regarding the refusal. The department stated it does not comment on individual cases. Malm noted that he was last allowed into the UK in May to deliver a talk. He argued that his views on the conflict have been in the public record for a long time.

The denial follows previous remarks by Malm about the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel. During a talk in December 2023, he described the attacks as "fundamentally an act of liberation." In that same speech, he also condemned the killing of civilians in the cross-border attack as "deplorable." About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage in those initial strikes. Malm suggested these comments might have influenced the Home Office's decision.

"I don't expect the British state to agree with me on Palestine or climate or anything," Malm said. "What I expect the British state to do is to continue to let me enter the country and to discuss with colleagues, with people who disagree with me - as I have done for years."

Malm is the author of several books, including "How to Blow up a Pipeline" from 2021 and "The Destruction of Palestine is the Destruction of the Earth" from 2025. His work focuses on human ecology and climate issues.

The legal status of Palestine Action is currently under review. The UK Supreme Court is set to examine the group's ban under terrorism legislation. The Home Office has said it will defend the appeal. More than 3,700 people have been arrested in the UK over alleged support for the group. About 2,500 have been charged, but none have gone to trial while the legal challenge continues.

The government holds broad discretion to bar foreign nationals if their presence is deemed a risk to society. This power was exercised in April when 11 individuals described as "far-right agitators" were banned before a rally led by Tommy Robinson. In the same month, Kanye West was denied entry after backlash over his planned performance at London's Wireless Festival. He had apologized for previous comments, citing his bipolar disorder. In June, commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur claimed their visas were revoked before planned appearances in London and Oxford.