A far-right Dutch commentator and activist claimed this week she had been banned from entering Britain because her electronic permit had been withdrawn.
Eva Vlaardingerbroek posted a photograph online of what appeared to be an email from the British government stating that her ETA to enter the UK had been removed.
“Your presence in the UK is not considered to be conducive to the public good,” the note said. “This means you cannot travel to the UK without a visa.”
The message has not been independently verified although the Independent news website said its sources had confirmed the email was real. The right-wing Daily Mail, however, said the Home Office declined to comment on the case and a department source “insisted Ms Vlaardingerbroek is not banned from the UK”.
British government guidelines state that someone can be considered not to be conducive to the public good if “it is undesirable to admit the person to the UK, based on their character, conduct, or associations because they pose a threat to UK society. This applies to conduct both in the UK and overseas.”
Vlaardingerbroek, a former member of Dutch far right party Forum voor Democratie, linked the ban to recent comments she had made about British prime minister Keir Starmer, whom she described as an “evil, despicable man”.
Vlaardingerbroek was last in Britain in September, when she spoke at a far-right rally in London organised by activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who uses the name Tommy Robinson.
In a social media post, she said she had been planning to travel to Britain in May to speak at another rally and that the email about the withdrawal of her ETA had come “out of the blue”. An ETA, a travel document for people from the EU visiting Britain for short periods, is valid for six months.
Rupert Lowe, a British anti-immigration MP, said he would ask why the Dutch activist had been prevented from entering Britain and would call for any such decision to be reversed.
Dutch News has also asked the British government to comment on the ban.
Dutch far-right party leader Geert Wilders was banned from entering Britain in 2009. At the time, the UK government said his presence could lead to public disorder because of his extremist views.
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