Visitors who are accused of anti-Semitic behaviour may be expelled from the UK even if the alleged behaviour falls below a criminal standard, the immigration minister said on Wednesday.
Robert Jenrick said those who glorify terrorists are not entitled to the “privilege” of staying in the UK, but the minister declined to comment on specific cases as the Home Office is reviewing “a small number” of visas.
Mr. Jenrick and policing minister Chris Philp wrote to chief constables in England and Wales on Friday, asking them to flag visa holders who “support terrorism and intimidate vulnerable communities” in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
On Wednesday, Mr. Jenrick revealed they had also written to Jewish community organisations, asking them be bring “to the attention of the Home Office” visa holders they come across “whose behavior falls well below British values.”
“We will consider those cases in accordance with the legal process and if it meets the legal bar that somebody is a risk to national security, or their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public interest, then we will revoke their visa and remove them,” he told Time Radio. “And the first such cases are being considered.”
Asked if people can be removed from the country for waving a Palestinian flag at a protest, the minister said they won’t.
“We believe in freedom of speech,” he said.
But he rejected the premise that alleged anti-Semitic behaviour needs to meet the criminal threshold for visas to be revoked.
“I think there is conduct which is below the criminal standard which is wrong, will be accepted as wrong by most reasonable people. And if those people are not British citizens, they’re just visitors to our country enjoying the privileges of living here being amongst fellow British people, then I’m afraid their visas will be revoked and they should leave the country,” he said.
He declined to get into specific cases because of ongoing legal processes.
On Tuesday, Mr. Jenrick told Parliament the Home Office was reviewing “a small number” of cases.
Controversial Chants
It comes as racial tension between the Jewish and Arab communities has heightened since the Israel–Hamas war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists launched missiles towards Israel, raped, slaughtered, and kidnapped civilians in their homes and at a music festival.According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, as of Tuesday there were 1,400 deaths and 4,450 wounded in Israel, with more than 200 held hostage, and 5,700 deaths and 16,200 injured in Gaza.
Separately, the IDF said on Oct. 10 that it had killed 1,500 Hamas terrorists. The Epoch Times could not independently verify the death tolls cited by Hamas, which says it tallies figures from hospital directors. In past conflicts, some Palestinian deaths in Gaza were attributed to Hamas rockets that fell short.
After pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police arrested a man who chanted curses against non-believers, or so-called infidels, the Jews, and Israel “on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.” The force is also looking for a demonstrator who held a sign that read “I fully support Hamas.”
During the rallies supporters of revolutionary Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir were seen chanting “Jihad! Jihad!”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said calls for jihad on the UK’s streets “are not only a threat to the Jewish community, but to our democratic values,” although Met Police said the chants are legal under current law.
A larger rally that the Met said had “up to 100,000” demonstrators was heard chanting slogans such as “from the river to the sea, Palestinian will be free,” which Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed could be considered illegal in certain contexts.
On Friday, the Met said it had received 218 anti-Semitic allegations and 101 Islamophobic allegations between Oct. 1 and Oct. 18, compared to 15 and 42 during the same period last year.
