Swedish climate academic and author Andreas Malm has been denied entry into the United Kingdom ahead of a scheduled appearance at a conference alongside Huda Ammori, co-founder of the proscribed group Palestine Action.
Malm, an associate professor of human ecology at Lund University in Sweden and author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, said British immigration authorities informed him that his presence in the country was not considered conducive to the public good.
He was scheduled to headline an event organised by Tribune magazine next week, where he was expected to discuss Britain’s role in global conflicts and the implications of the government’s ban on Palestine Action.
Reacting to the decision, Malm described it as scandalous and appealed to the British government to reverse the restriction, questioning its implications for freedom of expression and academic engagement. He also noted that he had visited the UK for decades for research, university lectures and academic conferences.
The UK Home Office declined to comment on his individual case.
Irish novelist Sally Rooney criticised the decision, describing it as an attack on a respected academic and a worrying development for public debate. Tribune magazine editor Oliver Eagleton also condemned the move, arguing that Malm was being prevented from speaking at an event examining restrictions on free expression.
Malm’s planned appearance comes as Britain’s Supreme Court prepares to hear a challenge to the proscription of Palestine Action, which was designated a terrorist organisation under UK law.
The academic has been a vocal critic of Israel and an advocate for Palestinian rights. He has also attracted international attention for his work on climate change and environmental activism.
His exclusion follows similar entry restrictions imposed earlier this year on American political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker.
