This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The founder of the German far-right group Pegida has been denied entry to the UK and deported, officials have confirmed.

Lutz Bachmann, who was once pictured styled as Hitler, is the fourth foreign figure in the extreme right wing to be turned away at the UK border in the space of a fortnight.

The Home Office said it had stopped the chair of the anti-Islam, anti-immigration group at Stansted airport on Saturday and deported him the next day, adding that his presence in the UK was “not conducive to the public good”.

Pegida said Bachmann’s intention had been to appear at Speakers’ Corner, in central London, to take the place of Martin Sellner, a white supremacist who was among the far-right activists prevented from entering Britain since 9 March.



Sellner’s partner, Brittany Pettibone, and Lauren Southern were also turned away because their presence was not deemed conducive to the public good.

Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the English Defence League, whose social media posts were cited repeatedly in the trial of the Finsbury Park terrorist Darren Osborne, gave Sellner’s speech at Speakers’ Corner on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate said the decision to deny entry to Bachmann was unsurprising given his “extreme history” and the deportations of Pettibone, Sellner and Southern.

“Far from being denied a chance to air their views, as they often like to falsely claim, these extremists have abused freedom of speech and social media platforms to spread and push toxic views,” the spokesperson said.

Even those with vile views have the right to be heard | Kenan Malik Read more

Hope Not Hate highlighted Bachmann’s criminal past (he has previously been convicted of drug possession, assault and burglary) and said he had “made his name as a prominent Islamophobe”.

Bachmann briefly stood down as the leader of Pegida in January 2015 after a photo showed him with a Hitler-style moustache. He was reinstated as chair a month later.

Pegida said Bachmann was expected to appear at an event being held by the group in its east German stronghold, Dresden, on Monday.



Referring to his case, a Home Office spokesman said: “Border Force has the power to refuse entry to an individual if it is considered that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.”

The Home Office also confirmed the deportations of Southern, Sellner and Pettibone for the same reason.