Travel permit revoked days before London Palestine talk; speaker must seek visa

The UK Home Office has cancelled the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) of Swedish national Andreas Malm, days before he was due to speak at a Palestine event in London. In an email seen by Al Jazeera, the department said his presence in the UK was "not considered to be conducive to the public good".

Malm had been due to appear on a panel in London a week after the decision, and says he believes the cancellation is linked to that appearance. He has asked the Home Office for an explanation but has not received a response.

Key facts

• Who: Swedish academic and pro-Palestine campaigner Andreas Malm
• What: his Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was cancelled by the UK Home Office
• When: the decision was communicated by email on Wednesday, a week before his planned panel
• Reason given: his presence in the UK was not considered conducive to the public good
• Alternative route: he has been told to apply for a visa, which the government website says takes three weeks to process

What happened?

Malm was scheduled to speak on a panel organised by the British socialist magazine Tribune in London. Huda Ammori, cofounder of Palestine Action — which the UK has proscribed as a terrorist group — was also due to appear, with Hala Hanina of Palestine Deep Dive chairing the discussion.

Malm said he had visited the UK regularly for decades, most recently in May, and that he had made no public statements about Palestine in the months since. He said he received no warning before Wednesday's email confirming his ETA had been revoked.

What is an ETA and who needs one?

An Electronic Travel Authorisation is a pre-travel permission required of visitors from countries whose nationals do not need a visa to enter the UK. These include countries in Europe as well as the United States and Canada, among others.

Malm said he used an ETA to enter the UK in May, and that it had allowed him to travel again later in the year without seeking reauthorisation before it was cancelled.

What are his options now?

The Home Office told Malm that if he wants to visit the UK he must apply for a visa, after which it will consider his circumstances in more detail before deciding. The government website lists a processing time of three weeks for a standard visitor visa, meaning he would not receive it in time for the following week's panel even if the application were approved.

Why is this happening?

The cancellation comes amid what Al Jazeera describes as a wider UK crackdown on pro-Palestine activists that began under then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose government proscribed Palestine Action last year. The proscription, which places the group on the same legal list as organisations such as al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), has been condemned by rights groups including Amnesty International. Earlier this month, Irish novelist Sally Rooney's books were withdrawn from sale in the UK over her public support for Palestine Action.

Gareth Dale, a reader in political economy at Brunel University of London, said the decision showed the government intends to keep suppressing free speech under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and noted that no reason for the ban was given.

What this means for travellers

The case is a reminder that an approved ETA does not guarantee entry: the Home Office can cancel an authorisation and require a visa application instead. Travellers from visa-exempt countries who rely on an ETA should be aware that a decision can arrive by email with no advance warning, and that a fresh visa application takes three weeks.

Al Jazeera contacted the Home Office for clarification on the cancellation and whether it was linked to the event, but had received no reply at the time of publication. Malm is still awaiting an explanation from the department.