The refusal

Swedish climate academic Andreas Malm has said he was denied entry to the United Kingdom ahead of a series of speaking engagements in London, including an event at which he was due to appear alongside the co-founder of Palestine Action.

Malm, an associate professor at Lund University, told BBC Radio 4 on Friday that he had received a message from the Home Office saying his presence in the UK was “not conducive to the public good”, with no further explanation. According to event organiser Tribune magazine, his Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was cancelled.

The event at the centre of the row

The Tribune event, scheduled for 4 November, was set to feature Malm and Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, ahead of a Supreme Court challenge to the group's proscription due to be heard next week. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, making expressing support for it a criminal offence.

Malm said he suspected the planned appearance was the reason for the decision. He said he was not a member of Palestine Action and had never publicly endorsed it or given it financial support, describing the move as a severe restriction on the free exchange of ideas.

What the Home Office has said

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases. Malm, best known for his book “How to Blow Up a Pipeline”, said he had asked the department to explain its decision and appealed for it to be overturned.

The case follows earlier entry refusals this year involving visiting speakers linked to proscribed or controversial groups, and comes days before the courts examine whether the Palestine Action ban itself should stand.

Sources: Reuters