UK denies entry to Swedish climate scholar linked to Palestine Action event
Andreas Malm of Lund University was barred from entering Britain after receiving a notice stating his presence was not conducive to the public good.
By Camila Herrera ·
Swedish climate scholar Andreas Malm was denied entry to the United Kingdom on Friday, preventing him from attending a speaking engagement scheduled for the following week. Malm, a professor at Lund University, was set to appear with Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, a group currently designated as a terrorist organization by British authorities.
The Home Office, which oversees border control, declined to comment on the specific decision. Malm told the BBC's Radio 4 that he received a message from the ministry stating his "presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good." The notice provided no additional explanation for the refusal.
Malm suspects his exclusion is tied to his planned appearance at an event organized by a socialist magazine. He was scheduled to discuss the war in Iran alongside Ammori. He noted that he had not publicly endorsed, promoted, or provided financial support to Palestine Action, despite the group's recent legal troubles.
The scholar said the ban disrupts his long-standing academic work in Britain. "I've been going back and forth to the UK for years, for decades, to do my scientific work, my archival research, my participation in conferences," Malm said. "This is the main purpose of my visit to the UK this time too." He added, "What this means is that I am banned from doing my work as an intellectual, as an academic."
Malm is known for his book "How to Blow Up a Pipeline," which argues for radical measures to halt fossil fuel extraction. When asked if his ban might relate to previous remarks where he called Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel "an act of liberation," Malm replied, "it could be."
This decision comes as Britain's Supreme Court prepares to hear an appeal regarding the proscription of Palestine Action under terrorism laws next week. The legal status of the group makes expressing support a criminal offense. In June, the UK also blocked Cenk Uygur and his nephew Hasan Piker from entering the country for similar speaking engagements. In early October, Irish author Sally Rooney announced her books would no longer be sold in Britain after she planned to use royalties to support the group.
