By, Sandy Rashty
2 min read
BySandy Rashty, Sandy Rashty
The UK government has banned a far-right nationalist from entering the country.
Jewish security group the Community Security Trust welcomed the ban of American white nationalist Matthew Heimbach.
A CST spokesman tweeted: “Thanks @ukhomeoffice for excluding neo-Nazi Matthew Heimbach from UK for antisemitism and inciting hatred of Jews.”
Mr Heimbach, 24, is a self-declared white nationalist who believes in racial separatism.
As a student, he set up the White Student Union. He now serves as director of the white pride youth group, the Traditionalist Youth Network, which he co-founded in 2013. He has claimed that the Jews are responsible for destroying white European culture, claimed that Jewish people should be segregated from others, and that Jews intend to drive Europeans into submission.
Mr Heimback, from Ohio, who describes himself as a Christian, once defended his comments when confronted by a journalist.
He said: “If you ask the people of Palestine, the people of Lebanon – people all throughout the world that are dealing with international Zionism, they would agree with me on these subjects.”
He added: “I believe in supporting all nationalist movements around the world. I published an article supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people to fight for an independent homeland…
“I support Hezbollah, Hamas, all Arab groups, many of whom are Muslim, who are fighting for independence. I see them as allies in an international war against globalism.”
Antisemitism watchdog the Anti-Defamation has described him as “antisemitic”.
A letter from the Home Office to Mr Heimbach last Friday confirmed that he had been considered by the government under the Unacceptable Behaviour policy, which looks at measures for excluding or deporting extremists.
The letter read: “After careful consideration, on 30 October 2015 [the Home Secretary] personally directed that you should be excluded from the UK on the grounds that your presence here would not be conducive to the public good.
“The Home Secretary has reached this decision because you have brought yourself within the scope of the list of unacceptable behaviour by making statement that may foster hatred which might leader to inter-community violence in the UK.”
The letter also referenced “antisemitic” and “neo-Nazi” views expressed by Mr Heimbach.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The Home Secretary has the power to exclude an individual if she considers that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good or if their exclusion is justified on public policy grounds.
“Coming to the UK is a privilege and one that we refuse to extend to those who seek to subvert the shared values of our society.
“This Home Secretary has excluded more foreign nationals on the grounds of unacceptable behaviour than any before her.”
Mark Gardner, the CST's director of communications, said: “Heimbach’s extremism and antisemitism is clear cut. We thank the Home Office for having heard our concerns and for their decision in this case.”
He confirmed: “CST discussed Heimbach with anti-racist groups in Britain and America before then alerting the Home Office to his proposed visit here.”
