The United Kingdom has denied a visa to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, for the second time in two months, citing his support for Hamas and inflammatory remarks as reasons his presence is “non-conducive to the public good.”
The decision, outlined in a June 17, 2025, letter from the UK Home Office, also stated that future visa applications are unlikely to succeed unless Malema significantly alters his public stance.
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The Home Office highlighted Malema’s vocal support for Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization under UK law.
Specifically, the letter referenced a speech Malema gave on October 23, 2023, outside the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria, where he vowed to “arm Hamas” if the EFF came to power.
Additional citations included an April 2024 EFF statement on X supporting “the armed struggle of Hamas and Hezbollah” and an October 2024 televised interview where Malema described the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel as a “legitimate act of resistance.”
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The UK also pointed to Malema’s history of racially charged statements, including a 2016 remark that the EFF was “not calling for the slaughter of white people — at least for now” and a 2022 Equality Court hearing where he said, “I can’t guarantee I won’t say it. I am not a prophet.”
These were deemed part of a pattern of “unacceptable behaviour” under UK immigration policy, which includes incitement or glorification of terrorist violence and racial hatred.
This marks Malema’s second visa rejection since May 2025, when he was barred from attending the “Africa Together Conference” at Cambridge University due to administrative delays.
The latest refusal is a “substantive decision” with no right of appeal or administrative review, according to the Home Office.
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The EFF condemned the UK’s decision as “cowardice” and an attempt to suppress democratic debate.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo stated, “The UK has effectively banned the president of the EFF due to his position on the genocide of Palestinian people and his stance on racial inequality in South Africa.”
The party reaffirmed its solidarity with Palestine and commitment to fighting racial oppression globally, insisting Malema will not compromise his revolutionary beliefs for a visa.
