Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the consistency of the application of powers to exclude foreign nationals from the UK in cases involving people with (a) controversial public rhetoric and (b) reported links to or support for proscribed organisations.

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British Citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Exclusion is reserved for cases involving national security, extremism, serious crime, war crimes, corruption and unacceptable behaviour. An exclusion decision must be reasonable, consistent with decisions taken in similar circumstances, and proportionate to the threat the person poses to the UK. There must be a rational connection between exclusion of the individual and the legitimate aim being pursued, for example safeguarding public security or tackling serious crime.

The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of entry clearance or permission where a person’s character, conduct or associations means it is undesirable to grant them entry or permission to stay the UK. The decision to refuse entry on the ground it is conducive to the public good must be made on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the conduct and circumstances of the person concerned. All decisions must be reasonable, proportionate and evidence based. A person’s presence may be deemed to be non-conducive to the public good for a range of reasons, for example, because of criminality, reprehensible behaviour falling short of a conviction, or because their identity, travel history or other circumstances means that their presence in the UK poses a threat to UK society. A person does not need to have a criminal conviction to be refused admission on non-conducive grounds.

Where a person has already been admitted to the UK, deportation action may be taken where their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. This may include those who have publicly expressed support for proscribed organisations.