The Conservative Party has intensified its calls for the deportation of Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, dismissing his "grovelling" apology for a series of historic social media posts as insincere.
Apology dismissed as political pressure mounts
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp led the attack, branding Mr Abd El-Fattah a "scumbag" and stating he was "not really interested" in the activist's apology. The controversy stems from tweets dating back to 2010, in which the dissident appeared to advocate violence against Zionists and police officers.
Mr Abd El-Fattah, who arrived in the UK on Boxing Day after years of detention in Egypt, issued a statement on Monday expressing regret. He apologised "unequivocally" for the historic tweets, claiming some had been "completely twisted out of their meaning" and were the product of a "young man's anger" during regional conflicts.
Calls for citizenship revocation under the Immigration Act
Mr Philp was unequivocal in his demands for government action. He stated that, if he were Home Secretary, he would immediately sign an order to revoke Mr Abd El-Fattah's British citizenship under the 1971 Immigration Act, on grounds that his presence is "not conducive to the public good".
"People who spew this kind of hatred have no place in this country," Mr Philp told ITV's Good Morning Britain. He argued the apology was issued only because the remarks had been publicly exposed, adding that the activist "could have said all this at any point in the last 10 years – but he hasn't".
Political fallout and community concerns
The case has sparked a wider political row. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK's Nigel Farage have also urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to investigate stripping the activist's citizenship. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have raised serious concerns, the latter linking the rhetoric to recent antisemitic attacks.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who welcomed Mr Abd El-Fattah's release and arrival in December, is understood not to have been aware of the social media posts at the time. The Foreign Office has condemned the tweets as "abhorrent" but noted that securing his release was a long-standing priority of successive governments.
Mr Abd El-Fattah, a leading figure in Egypt's 2011 Arab Spring, was granted UK citizenship in December 2021 under Boris Johnson's premiership. He was pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in September after being sentenced to five years in prison on charges of spreading false news.
