Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for the deportation of Egyptian dissident Alaa Abd El-Fattah, whose arrival in the UK was welcomed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Writing in the Daily Mail, Badenoch said El-Fattah should be stripped of his dual British nationality and removed from the country, declaring: 'I do not want people who hate Britain coming to our country.'
The demand follows the emergence of social media posts in which El-Fattah advocated the murder of Jews and expressed hatred for white people, particularly those of English, Dutch, or German descent. El-Fattah has since apologised, describing the comments as 'shocking and hurtful' and attributing them to 'a young man's anger and frustrations'.
Starmer had welcomed El-Fattah's release from Egyptian detention as 'a top priority for my Government'. However, government sources suggested the Prime Minister was unaware of the posts during the years he pressed for El-Fattah's release. Senior Labour MPs have criticised the decision, with one minister calling it 'truly shocking' and questioning the lack of judgment.
Badenoch urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to take action, stating: 'British citizenship is more than a passport. Our country is our home, not a hotel.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is also expected to write to Mahmood demanding deportation. El-Fattah was granted British citizenship in 2021 based on his mother's UK birth, a decision Badenoch said was 'rubber-stamped' without proper scrutiny.
