Swedish climate researcher Andreas Malm has been refused entry to the United Kingdom ahead of a planned appearance at an event featuring Huda Ammori, co-founder of the proscribed
pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action.
Malm, who works at Lund University in Sweden, announced on Friday that British authorities had prevented him from entering the country. He is widely known for his outspoken criticism of Israel and his support for the Palestinian cause.
The UK Home Office declined to comment on the case, citing its policy of not discussing individual immigration decisions.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Malm said he had received an official notification stating that his presence in Britain was “not conducive to the public good”. The message, he said, offered no explanation for the decision.
The academic believes the refusal may be connected to his scheduled participation in a meeting next Wednesday organised by a socialist magazine. The event was due to feature Ammori, with Malm expected to address the war in Iran.
He stressed that he had never publicly promoted, endorsed or provided financial support to Palestine Action.
Malm also said his planned visit was primarily connected to his academic responsibilities, including scientific research, archival work and participation in conferences — activities that had brought him to Britain regularly for decades.
The decision, he argued, effectively prevents him from carrying out his professional duties as a scholar and intellectual.
Asked whether the refusal might be related to his previous description of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel as “an act of liberation”, Malm acknowledged that this could have played a role.
The Swedish researcher has gained international recognition for his book How to Blow Up a Pipeline, which argues that more radical forms of action are necessary to confront fossil fuel extraction and the climate crisis.
The controversy comes as the UK’s Supreme Court prepares to examine an appeal concerning the government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The ban has made expressing support for the group a criminal offence under British law.
The restrictions have also affected other prominent figures. Earlier this month, Irish novelist Sally Rooney said her books would no longer be sold in Britain because of her plans to direct royalty payments towards Palestine Action.
In June, the UK also denied entry to Turkish-American media figures Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker, both associated with left-wing political commentary, ahead of planned speaking engagements.
At the same time, British authorities have introduced travel restrictions against far-right Israeli ministers and excluded Israeli nationals from attending a prestigious defence studies college in London.
Malm’s case adds to growing controversy over the UK’s use of immigration powers and terrorism legislation against individuals associated with pro-Palestinian activism, raising further questions about the boundaries between national security measures, political expression and academic freedom. Photo by ukhomeoffice, Wikimedia commons.
