Starmer regrets welcoming Alaa Abd El Fattah to the UK amid controversy over old posts
Labour leader Keir Starmer has expressed regret over welcoming Alaa Abd El Fattah to the UK after old social media posts from 2012 surfaced, which included calls to kill Zionists, a racist remark, and other posts referencing harm to police. Starmer said he was not aware of these posts at the time. Conservatives, Reform UK, and some Labour MPs have urged the government to strip Abd El Fattah of his British citizenship, prompting the government to launch a review into information failures.
Alaa Abd El Fattah, 44, is a British-Egyptian dual national who arrived in the UK on Boxing Day 2025 after a travel ban was lifted. He was granted UK citizenship in December 2021 through his London-born mother. Abd El Fattah had been a prominent political prisoner in Egypt for about 12 years before his release, which followed a family campaign and lobbying from British officials. Upon arrival, he reunited with his 14-year-old son in Brighton.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews criticized the lack of due diligence in granting his citizenship. Further scrutiny revealed that Abd El Fattah's Facebook account liked a post supporting a smear campaign. The Prime Minister described the handling of the situation as a consular matter and pledged remedial action.
