Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has launched a furious attack on the Labour Government after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed controversial activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah to the UK, branding the decision “an absolute disgrace” and calling for serious questions over national security and citizenship policy.
Speaking on GB News, Mr Jenrick said he was “absolutely livid” after learning that Mr Abd el-Fattah, who holds dual British-Egyptian citizenship, had arrived in the UK following the lifting of a travel ban by Egyptian authorities.
Sir Keir said he was “delighted” that the activist had been reunited with his family after years of imprisonment in Egypt.
Mr Jenrick accused the Government of celebrating the return of a man who “hates Britain” and has a long record of inflammatory and extremist statements on social media.
He said a review of Mr Abd el-Fattah’s past remarks showed he had described Britons as “dogs and monkeys”, denied the Holocaust, praised Osama bin Laden, called for the killing of Zionists “including civilians”, and urged violence against police officers.
“He said during the London riots the city should be set on fire,” Mr Jenrick added. “It goes on and on. And yet we see the Prime Minister bragging about pulling off some sort of diplomatic coup.”
The Shadow Justice Secretary also criticised the role of officials, accusing the Foreign Office of acting “against the interests of the British people” by spending significant resources to secure Mr Abd el-Fattah’s return.
“Your viewers will think they are mugs,” he said, arguing that diplomats had prioritised the case over “genuine British interests”.
Robert Jenrick admitted the case has left him livid
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Mr Jenrick acknowledged that the previous Conservative government granted Mr Abd el-Fattah British citizenship in 2021 while he was imprisoned in Egypt, saying: “He should never have been given British citizenship and I am ashamed that the past Conservative Government did that.”
He has written to Sir Keir demanding clarity on whether the Prime Minister was aware of Mr Abd el-Fattah’s past statements before welcoming him, and whether the Government condemns calls for violence against Jews, Israelis and police officers.
He also raised the prospect of revoking Mr Abd el-Fattah’s citizenship.
The row threatens to overshadow Labour’s efforts to demonstrate toughness on migration and law and order, as ministers simultaneously announce new visa restrictions on the Democratic Republic of Congo over its refusal to accept the return of illegal migrants.
Mr Jenrick joined Alex Armstrong on GB News
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GB NEWS
Keir Starmer said he was ‘delighted’ about the release of Egyptian-British prisoner who called for mass murder of Israelis
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Keir Starmer ‘delighted’ over release of Egyptian-British prisoner who called for mass murder of IsraelisJewish groups and anti-extremism campaigners have expressed alarm at the Government’s tone, arguing that welcoming Mr Abd el-Fattah without condemning his past remarks risks legitimising extremist views.
A Government spokesperson defended the decision, saying: “Mr El-Fattah is a British citizen. It has been a long-standing priority under successive governments to work for his release from detention, and to see him reunited with his family in the UK.”
A Labour source also noted that lobbying for Mr Abd el-Fattah’s release began under the previous Conservative administration, which granted him citizenship. However, critics insist that serious questions remain over whether his past conduct should have barred him from returning to Britain at all.