The ban was imposed three days after Eva Vlaar—who boasts over 2 million social media followers—accused the British Prime Minister of failing to address migrant-related crime
Dutch political commentator and activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek (known as Vlaar) has been barred from entering the United Kingdom following her criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his alleged neglect of migrant-related crime.
Vlaar—who has amassed over 2 million followers on X and Instagram—is a former right-wing Forum voor Democratie (FvD) politician with a global following for her critiques of mass migration and European Union policies.
On Wednesday, Vlaar revealed she had received an official notice that her UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)—a pre-travel entry clearance for visa-exempt individuals—had been revoked. The notice cited that her presence in the UK is not “conducive to the public good” and noted the decision is non-appealable.
The ban came in the wake of a post where Vlaar criticized Starmer’s assertion that the UK’s social media crackdown (including on X) was aimed at “women’s safety.” She labeled Starmer “an evil, despicable man” for disregarding “the ongoing rape and murder of British girls by migrant rape gangs,” referencing the UK grooming gangs scandal. This scandal—centered on groups of mostly foreign-born men sexually exploiting children—first gained attention in the early 2010s, but Starmer’s administration only launched a formal investigation in mid-2025, following a private inquiry by Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe.
During an appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room, Vlaar stated she was stunned by the ban but noted it likely stemmed from her critical post about Starmer—one that “it seems he didn’t appreciate.”
EVA VLAARDINGERBROEK: I got an unexpected email from the UK government stating my presence is “not conducive to the public good of the United Kingdom.”
Just three days prior, I shared a tweet about Keir Starmer that appears to have displeased him.
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom)
She also cited her involvement in last September’s Unite the Kingdom rally—an anti-government, anti-immigration event organized by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson—as a potential contributing factor. UK authorities condemned the rally, with Starmer accusing its organizers of fostering “division” within British society.
Vlaar’s ban has sparked a wave of reactions from international public figures. Lowe labeled it “disgraceful” and formally requested the Home Office to overturn the decision. Dutch politician Lidewij de Vos described it as “extremely worrying” and called for diplomatic measures. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban retweeted Vlaar, adding: “You’re always welcome in Hungary!” Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev characterized the ban as “Starmer’s vindictiveness and censorship in action.”
The ban arrives amid ongoing debate over the UK’s hate speech and online safety laws, which critics claim target political dissent and social commentary that challenges government policies—rather than harmful content. Vlaar’s case joins a growing list of high-profile individuals denied entry to the UK on “public good” grounds, including French novelist Renaud Camus and South African opposition leader Julius Malema. Vlaar later posted on Instagram that her travel ban “indisputably proves the UK is no longer a free country.”