FURY AS STARMER REFUSES TO DEPORT EGYPTIAN 'EXTREMIST'

No 10 insists 'anti-British' dissident who 'wants Zionists murdered' is welcome here

- MICHAEL KNOWLES Home Affairs Editor

FURY has erupted over Keir Starmer's refusal to deport an activist accused of spouting antisemitic and racist abuse.

Dual-national Alaa Abd El-Fattah - whose return to the UK from Egypt was celebrated by the Prime Minister - branded Britons “dogs and monkeys", called for Zionists to be killed and boasted of hatred for white people.

He has apologised and suggested some of his online posts have been “twisted out of their meaning”.

But Reform UK leader Nigel Farage last night accused the government of opening the country’s borders to “evil people” as he demanded urgent law changes.

Home Office officials believe that Mr Abd El-Fattah, who returned to Britain on Boxing Day after being released from jail, would fall short of the threshold to have his UK citizenship revoked.

Even more incredibly, sources told the Daily Express Sir Keir’s welcome for the Egyptian dissident could mean he is never deported.

Former immigration minister Kevin Foster said: “The most likely [way to revoke citizenship] here is to argue it’s not conducive to the public good. It’s hard to see how the government could argue this having welcomed his arrival.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called Mr Abd El-Fattah an “extremist”, adding: “It is shameful that Keir Starmer is too weak to strip British citizenship from this despicable man and deport him. He has spouted hateful anti-white racism, antisemitic bile and called for acts of violence against Britain. People like this have no place here.

“Labour is pointing to a historic judgment based on the ECHR.

“They should challenge this again in the courts, but the solution ultimately is to leave the ECHR.”

Reform UK has demanded Labour changes the law to ensure all foreign nationals granted British citizenship are of “good character”.