A high-profile controversy has erupted in the United Kingdom after the Home Office revoked travel authorizations for two prominent American left-wing political commentators, barring them from entering the country ahead of scheduled speaking appearances at the SXSW London festival and an event at the University of Oxford.
Hasan Piker, a popular Twitch streamer with a daily audience of 30,000 viewers, and Cenk Uygur, co-founder and host of the leading YouTube political commentary show *The Young Turks*, were both stripped of their Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) ahead of their planned trips. The pair, who are relatives, have publicly condemned the British government, claiming the decision was directly driven by their sharp criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
In a post on X following his denied boarding for a flight to London, Uygur wrote: “I’ve been banned from the UK. I tried to get on a flight to London to attend SXSW London and give a speech at Oxford. I’ve been banned for criticising Israel. Are we free any more? This is oppression of western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country.”
Piker echoed these claims in his response, stating: “The UK has revoked my visa as well. All at the behest of Israel. The west is betraying ‘liberal values’ for a genocidal fascist foreign government. Soon we will all become Israel.”
Piker has long attracted controversy for his public comments, including stating that Hamas was “1,000 times better” than Israel and saying he would “vote for Hamas over Israel every single time.” He has also previously made a widely condemned 2019 remark that “America deserved 9/11,” which he later acknowledged was inappropriate. Piker has pushed back against accusations of antisemitism, telling *Variety* last year that he is not antisemitic but unequivocally “anti-Israel.”
According to *The Times*, Uygur’s ban is rooted in multiple concerning factors, including what the outlet describes as antisemitic tropes such as the claim that Israel controls American political institutions, plus controversial comments he made about grooming gangs during an appearance on Piers Morgan’s YouTube channel.
Under UK immigration rules, the Home Office holds the authority to cancel an ETA if it assesses that an individual’s entry would pose a risk to the UK’s public good.
The decision has split political and public opinion across the UK. Labour MP David Taylor, who publicly called for Piker to be barred from entry just last week, publicly thanked Home Secretary Yvette Cooper for the outcome. “There’s no reason to open our doors to those who seek to spread hate and division, especially to those who’ve supported a proscribed terror group,” Taylor wrote on X.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a leading Jewish community security and advocacy group, also welcomed the ban. In a statement, the group said it welcomed “the government’s recognition that there must be consequences when public figures cross the line into hate speech. While criticism of Israel is entirely legitimate, Piker has a record that goes far beyond robust or controversial political speech, including rhetoric that contains antisemitic themes.”
However, critics across the political spectrum have condemned the visa cancellations as an unacceptable attack on free speech. Green Party of England and Wales leader Zack Polanski described the decision as “a really grim decision,” adding: “People often talk about [the] dangerous road we’d go down under a Reform government – this is another clear warning we’re down there already. A Labour government doing everything possible to silence criticism of the Israeli government.”
Liberty, a leading UK human rights organization, also criticized the move. Liberty director Akiko Hart noted that “in recent months we have seen the government preventing people from entering the UK where their speech is deemed to have crossed the line. It is important that any Government decisions that restrict speech adhere to the very high standards set out in UK law – and that the Government is transparent about why and how decisions have been made.”
Officials with SXSW London, a six-day cross-industry event held in East London’s Shoreditch featuring more than 800 speakers, artists, and film screenings, said the organization was aware of the pair’s inability to travel due to the Home Office’s action. “Decisions on entry to the UK are a matter for the Home Office and the individuals concerned. SXSW London’s role is to convene a broad range of diverse voices and perspectives. We remain focused on delivering a programme this week fostering open dialogue and exchange of ideas,” a spokesperson for the festival said.
Piker was scheduled to lead a discussion titled “How The American Left Learned To Speak The Internet,” while Uygur was set to take part in a panel on “Techno-Feudalism Is Here. Who Are The Lords?” Both speakers’ profiles have since been removed from the SXSW London website.
This latest visa ban follows a string of similar controversial entry denials by the Home Office in recent months. Earlier this year, American rapper Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, was barred from the UK over a history of widely condemned antisemitic, racist, and pro-Nazi comments. Just last month, the government blocked 11 foreign nationals labeled as “far-right agitators” by Labour leader Keir Starmer from entering the UK ahead of a rally led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson in central London.