List of people banned from entering the United Kingdom
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The Home Office, a United Kingdom government department, has, from August 2005 to 31 March 2009, excluded 101 individuals from the UK for having "engaged in unacceptable behaviour". Of those, 22 were excluded by then-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith between 28 October 2008 and 31 March 2009. On 5 May 2009 Smith publicly "named and shamed" sixteen of those individuals.[1] In addition to the sixteen, other people are or have been banned from the United Kingdom.
The individuals are not necessarily banned from the British overseas territories, which have their own immigration regulations.
Smith's successor as Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, ended the policy of naming people who are banned from entering Britain.
Home Office 2023 list of hate promoters
The following 16 names were published:
| Individual | Nationality | Occupation | Official reason for ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal |  Saudi Arabia
|
Muslim extremist preacher | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and fostering hatred that might lead to inter-community violence".[1] |
| Yunis Al Astal |  Palestine |
Muslim cleric and Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts".[1] |
| Stephen Donald Black |  United States |
Extremist founder of the neo-Nazi website Stormfront | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by promoting serious criminal activity and fostering hatred, which might lead to inter-community violence in the United Kingdom".[1] |
| Wagdy Abd el-Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim |  Egypt |
Preacher, writer | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glory terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to commit terrorist acts".[1] |
| Erich Gliebe | United States |
Neo-Nazi, far-right political leader | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by justifying terrorist violence, provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred".[1] |
| Mike Guzovsky | United States
|
Jewish militant | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts".[1] |
| Safwat Hijazi | Egypt |
Imam, television preacher | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by glorifying terrorist violence".[1] |
| Nasr Javed |  Pakistan |
Senior operative of the Kashmiri militant group Jammat Ud Dawa | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs".[1] |
| Abdul Alim Musa (deceased) | United States |
Founder and director of the hate group As-Sabiqun | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting and glorifying terrorist violence in furtherance of his particular beliefs and seeking to provoke others to terrorist acts".[1] |
| Fred Phelps (deceased) | United States |
Pastor and Founder of anti-LGBT group Westboro Baptist Church | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fostering hatred such as homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, which might lead to inter-community violence in the United Kingdom".[1] |
| Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky |  Russia |
Violent gang leaders and mass murderers | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting serious criminal activity and seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts".[1] |
| Amir Siddique | Pakistan |
Imam, preacher | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs".[1] |
| Michael Savage | United States |
Right-wing radio host | "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence".[1] |
Other notable individuals banned or refused entry
The following individuals are temporarily or permanently refused entry into the United Kingdom.
| Individual | Nationality | Occupation | Reason banned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asma al-Assad |  Syria
|
Former First Lady of Syria (2000-2024) | Allegations involving the "systematic approach to the torture and murder of civilians, including with the use of chemical weapons" and incitement of terrorist acts.[2][3] |
| Siccatune Alcock (aka Jah Cure) |
 Jamaica |
Reggae musician | Criminal convictions in Jamaica.[4] |
| Zokirjon Almatov[nb 1] |  Uzbekistan |
Politician | War crimes committed in Uzbekistan.[5][6] |
| Steven L. Anderson[nb 1] | United States |
Leader/Pastor of the Faithful Word Baptist Church, which has been criticized for its anti-LGBT views. | UK government concerns over anti-LGBT rhetoric; has been banned from at least 34 countries.[7][8] |
| Jeffrey Atkins Sr. (aka Ja Rule) |
United States |
Rapper | Criminal record.[9] |
| Lutz Bachmann |  Germany |
Founder of the Pegida movement | UK government expressed that he is "not conducive to the public good".[10] |
| Omar Bakri | Syria |
Salafi Islamist militant leader; hate cleric | Involvement in London bombings, militant activity in Lebanon.[11] |
| Moshe Levi Ben-David (aka Shyne) |
 Belize |
Rapper | Criminal convictions in the United States, travel document issues.[12] |
| Itamar Ben-Gvir |  Israel |
Politician | |
| Todd Bentley |  Canada |
Evangelist | UK government concerns over violent behaviour committed towards others in the United States.[16] |
| Sali Berisha |  Albania |
2nd President of Albania (1992-1997) and 32nd Prime Minister of Albania (2005-2013) | Links to organized crime groups and criminals that pose a risk to public safety in Albania and the UK.[17][18][19] |
| Steven Best | United States |
Philosopher and animal rights activist | UK government concerns over him "fomenting and justifying terrorist violence and seeking to provoke others to terrorist acts and fomenting other serious criminal activity and seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts."[20] |
| Julien Blanc | United States
|
Dating coach, speaker | UK government concerns over promotion of sexual assault.[21] |
| Chris Brown | United States |
Singer | Criminal convictions in the United States[22] |
| Renaud Camus |  France |
Novelist | Banned due to his promotion of Great Replacement Theory, the home office said his presence was not "conducive to the public good".[23] |
| Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (aka Lil Wayne) | United States |
Rapper | Criminal convictions in the United States.[24] |
| Duane "Dog" Chapman | United States |
Bounty hunter | Criminal conviction in the United States.[25] |
| Miguel Orlando Collins (aka Sizzla) |
Jamaica |
Raggae musician | Anti-gay lyrics in his recordings, as well as advocating for violence against LGBT people.[26] |
| Mohammed Al Deeni |  Iraq |
Cleric | UK government concerns over pro-jihadist views against Syria.[27] |
| Louis Farrakhan | United States |
Leader of the Nation of Islam | UK government concerns over expressing anti-Semitic and racially divisive views.[28][29][30] |
| Moshe Feiglin | Israel |
Politician and activist | UK government concerns over anti-Palestinian beliefs, support for war against them and spreading of hate.[31] |
| Don Francisco | United States |
Gospel singer | Failing to obtain a religious worker visa and a certificate of sponsorship.[32][33][34][35] |
| Pamela Geller | United States |
Anti-Islamic and political activist | UK government concerns over anti-Islamic beliefs and spreading of hate[36] |
| Gideon Gono[nb 1] |  Zimbabwe |
Banker, politician | Connections to Robert Mugabe, human rights abuses[37] |
| Joan Guzmán |  Dominican Republic |
Boxer | Unknown[29] |
| Matthew Heimbach | United States |
Neo-Nazi | UK government concerns over neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic rhetoric[38] |
| Daniel Hernandez (aka 6ix9ine) |
United States |
Rapper | Past criminal offenses[39] |
| Terry Jones | United States |
Anti-Islamic right wing activist and pastor | UK government concerns over anti-Islamic rhetoric and actions[40][41] |
| Omar bin Laden | Saudi Arabia |
Contractor, businessman, son of Osama bin Laden | Connections to Al-Qaeda[42] |
| Dieudonné M'bala M'bala | France |
Comedian | UK government concerns over anti-Semitic rhetoric and actions[43] |
| Thomas Mapfumo | Zimbabwe |
Musician | Issue with visa[44] |
| Mandla Mandela |  South Africa |
Tribal chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council and grandson of Nelson Mandela | Concerns about "inflammatory rhetoric"; openly supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as close links to the Iranian regime.[45] |
| Jacek Międlar |  Poland |
Far-right Polish priest | UK government concerns over spreading hate speech[46] |
| Marko Milošević |  Serbia |
Organized crime figurehead, son of Slobodan Milošević | Organized crime activities in Eastern Europe, banned from entire European Union[47] |
| Yosef Mizrachi | United States |
Haredi rabbi and public speaker | UK government concerns over spreading hate and extremism.[48] |
| Ibrahim Mousawi |  Lebanon |
Lebanese journalist, spokesperson for Hezbollah | Connections to Hezbollah.[49] |
| Grace Mugabe[nb 1] | Zimbabwe |
Robert Mugabe's wife, former First Lady of Zimbabwe | Involvement with Robert Mugabe[50] |
| Zakir Naik |  India |
Islamic televangelist | UK government concerns over glorifying terrorism and promoting violence.[51] |
| David Oyedepo |  Nigeria |
Preacher | Allegations of church corruption.[52] |
| Rasmus Paludan |  Denmark
|
Far-right political leader and anti-Islamic activist | UK government concerns over anti-Islamic rhetoric and actions including Quran burning.[53] |
| Terrance Quaites (aka TQ) |
United States |
Rapper | UK government concerns over promoting physical abuse, rape and murder.[54] |
| Shirley Phelps-Roper[nb 1] | United States |
Senior operative of the anti-LGBT group the Westboro Baptist Church | UK government concerns over anti-LGBT rhetoric.[55] |
| Bilal Philips | Canada |
Islamic scholar | Alleged links to terrorism and seeming to condone suicide bombers.[56] |
| Ronnie Radke | United States |
Lead singer of Falling In Reverse | Criminal convictions in the United States.[57] |
| Maryam Rajavi |  Iran |
Leader of the People's Mujahedin of Iran | Diplomatic relations between UK and Iran at risk.[58] |
| Martin Sellner |  Austria |
Far-right political leader, Identitarian, anti-Islamic extremist | UK government concerns over promoting violence and hatred (after his banning, he later became a chief suspect in Austrian investigation regarding involvement in 2019 Christchurch shooting)[59] |
| Vojislav Šešelj | Serbia |
Politician | War crimes committed in Serbia.[60] |
| Thaksin Shinawatra[nb 2] |  Thailand |
Businessman, politician, and former Prime Minister of Thailand (2001-2006) | Criminal convictions in Thailand[61] |
| Bezalel Smotrich | Israel |
Politician | Allegedly inciting settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.[62][14][15] |
| Edward Snowden | United States |
Computer programmer | Decided at American government's request; leaking of American government documents. |
| Abdul Somad |  Indonesia |
Islamic preacher and scholar | Holding views that are considered as Islamic extremist.[63] |
| Lauren Southern | Canada |
Far-right political activist | UK government concerns over far-right rhetoric, distributing anti-Islamic material[64] |
| Richard Spencer | United States |
White supremacist | UK government concerns over white supremacist rhetoric, banned from entire European Union.[65] |
| Robert Spencer | United States |
Anti-Islamic activist | UK government concerns over anti-Islamic beliefs and spreading of hate.[36] |
| Ziad Takieddine | France
|
Businessman | Allegations of fraud.[66] |
| Yang Tengbo |  China |
Businessman | Government concerns regarding espionage and undue foreign political interference[67] |
| Mike Tyson | United States |
Former boxer | Criminal convictions in the United States.[68] |
| Daryush Valizadeh | United States |
Blogger | UK government concerns over promoting rape.[69] |
| Eva Vlaardingerbroek |  Netherlands |
Far-right political commentator and activist | UK government concerns over "not being conducive to the public good."[70] |
| Jerry Vlasak | United States |
Animal rights activist | UK government concerns over rhetoric concerning the use of violence against animal researchers[71] |
| Mark Weber | United States |
Holocaust denier | UK government concerns over Holocaust denial.[72] |
| Gary Yourofsky | United States |
Animal rights activist | Criminal convictions in the United States and Canada.[73] |
| Rafal Ziemkiewicz | Poland |
Science fiction author and right-wing publicist | Government concerns of propagating racism including Islamophobia and Holocaust denial[74] |
| Itamar Ben-Gvir | Israel |
Politician | Inciting settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.[75][14] |
| Bezalel Smotrich | Politician | Inciting settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.[76][14] | |
Individuals previously banned or refused entry
These individuals have at some point been banned from entering the United Kingdom, or at least temporarily refused entry; these individuals are either deceased or have eventually been allowed entry.
| Individual | Nationality | Occupation | Reason banned | Ban lifted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gholam Reza Aghazadeh[nb 1] | Iran |
Politician, atomic energy chief in Iranian government | Development of nuclear weapons in Iran[77] | 2016, with sanctions easing following establishment of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action[78] |
| Yusuf al-Qaradawi | Egypt
|
Islamic theologian, Muslim Brotherhood member, radio host | UK government concerns over condoning of Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis[28][79] | 2022 (deceased) |
| Serge Aurier |  Ivory Coast |
Footballer | Criminal conviction in France[80] | 2017, after his suspended prison sentence was converted to a fine[81][82] |
| Menachem Begin | Israel |
Politician, Prime Minister of Israel, head of terrorist organization the Irgun | Terrorism activities in Israel and Palestine[83] | 1972[84] |
| Calvin Broadus, Jr. (aka Snoop Dogg) |
United States |
Rapper | Violent incident at Heathrow Airport[85] | 2010, after it was overturned on appeal[86] |
| Lenny Bruce | United States |
Comedian | Government concern about irreverent comedic routines | 1966 (deceased)[87] |
| Momir Bulatović[nb 1][nb 3] |  Montenegro |
Politician, President of Montenegro | War crimes committed in Serbia and Montenegro[47] | 2019 (deceased) |
| Pavle Bulatović |  Serbia and Montenegro |
Politician | War crimes committed in Serbia[47] | 2000 (deceased) |
| Peter Chingoka[nb 1] | Zimbabwe |
Cricket administrator | Connections to Robert Mugabe[88] | 2022 (deceased) |
| Stokely Carmichael (aka Kwame Ture) |
 Trinidad and Tobago
|
Civil rights activist and pan-Africanist | Government concerns about stirring racial violence | 1983[89] |
| Ivica Dačić | Serbia |
Politician | Human rights abuses[60] | Unknown (ban applied in 1998), due to political status |
| Texas Guinan | United States |
Actress, entrepreneur | Activities during American Prohibition[90] | 1933 (deceased) |
| L. Ron Hubbard | United States |
Founder of Scientology | Government concerns about Scientology being socially harmful, criminal conviction for fraud in France[91] | 1986 (deceased)[92] |
| Mohammad Ali Jafari[nb 1] | Iran |
Politician, head of Iranian Revolutionary Guard | Development of nuclear weapons in Iran[77] | 2016, with sanctions easing following establishment of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action[78] |
| Meir Kahane | Israel
|
Orthodox rabbi, writer, ultra-nationalist politician | Government concerns about promoting far-right violence[93] | 1990 (deceased) |
| Salman Khan | India |
Actor | Convicted in a court of offence, including a poaching case.[94] | 2017[95] |
| Samir Kuntar | Lebanon |
Hezbollah and Palestine Liberation Front member | UK government concerns of justifying terrorist violence and provoking others to commit terrorist acts.[1] | 2015 (deceased) |
| Osama bin Laden | Saudi Arabia |
Terrorist, founder of al-Qaeda | Banned over connections to Islamist militant groups in Algeria, Somalia, and Yemen. Exclusion order issued after Bin Laden formed the Advice and Reform Committee in London and considered seeking asylum in Britain after King Fahd revoked his Saudi citizenship in 1994.[96] | 2011 (deceased) |
| Alexander Lukashenko[nb 1][nb 4] |  Belarus |
Politician, President of Belarus | Mass human rights abuses in Belarus, banned from entering entire European Union [97][98] | 2016[99] |
| Mirjana Marković[nb 1] | Serbia |
Political leader, former First Lady of Yugoslavia | Association with Slobodan Milošević[100][47] | 2019 (deceased) |
| James Miller | United States |
Parachutist | Criminal convictions in the UK. | 2002 (deceased)[101] |
| Borislav Milošević | Serbia |
Diplomat | Association with war crimes committed by younger brother Slobodan Milošević.[47] | 2013 (deceased) |
| Slobodan Milošević[nb 1][nb 3] | Serbia and Montenegro |
Politician, former President of Yugoslavia | War crimes (including genocide and ethnic cleansing) committed in Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania.[47] | 2006 (deceased) |
| Sun Myung Moon |  South Korea |
Founder of the Unification Church | Government concerns about methods used in attracting followers[29] | 2005[102] |
| Robert Mugabe[nb 1][nb 3] | Zimbabwe |
Politician, President of Zimbabwe | War crimes and mass human rights abuses committed in Zimbabwe[50][103] | 2019 (deceased) |
| Pablo Neruda |  Chile |
Poet, diplomat, politician | Connections to communism[29] | 1973 (deceased) |
| Tomislav Nikolić | Serbia |
Politician, former President of Serbia | Mass human rights abuses[60] | Unknown (ban applied in 1998), due to political status |
| Tyler Gregory Okonma (aka Tyler, the Creator) |
United States |
Rapper | Government concerns about lyrics involving promotion of terrorism, hate and anti-gay rhetoric | 2018, ban was only 3 to 5 years[104][105] |
| Fred Phelps | United States |
Founder of anti-LGBT organization the Westboro Baptist Church | Government concern about anti-LGBT rhetoric.[106] | 2014 (deceased) |
| George Raft | United States |
Film actor | Illegal gambling in the UK.[107] | 1980 (deceased)[108] |
| Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (aka Osho) | India |
Founder of the Rajneesh movement | Government concerns about the brainwashing methods used in the Rajneesh movement.[29] | 1990 (deceased) |
| George Lincoln Rockwell | United States |
Politician, neo-Nazi | Government concern about neo-Nazi, extremist rhetoric.[109] | 1967 (deceased) |
| Dmitri Shostakovich |  Soviet Union |
Composer and pianist | Connections to the Soviet Communist Party.[29] | 1975 (deceased) |
| Trevor Smith (aka Busta Rhymes) |
United States |
Rapper | Criminal convictions in the United States.[110] | 2008; detained for 12 hours in London [111] |
| Albert Speer | West Germany |
Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany | Nazi war crimes. | 1973[112] |
| Martha Stewart | United States |
Celebrity homemaker, businesswoman | Criminal convictions in the United States.[113][114] | Unknown; returned to London in 2017 (ban applied in 2008)[115] |
| Jens Jørgen Thorsen | Denmark |
Director, screenwriter, producer | Intent to produce The Many Faces of Jesus, a film depicting Jesus as gay[116] | 2000 (deceased) |
| Aleksandar Vučić[nb 2][nb 4] | Serbia |
Politician, current President of Serbia | Mass human rights abuses[60] | Unknown (ban applied in 1998), due to political status |
| Geert Wilders | Netherlands |
Far-right politician, anti-Islamic activist | Government concern about anti-Islamic rhetoric | 2009, after it was overturned on appeal[117][118] |
Notes
- This individual is or was also banned from entering any country within the European Union.
- This individual was previously head of government of his or her respective country
- This individual was previously head of state of his or her respective country
- This individual is currently serving as head of state of his or her respective country