Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Britain Refuses to Allow Dutch MP Geert Wilders To Enter:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_02_08-2009_02_14.shtml#1234326329
[1]Brussels Journal quotes this letter to Wilders stating that he is
excluded from Britain:
Dear Mr Wilders
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Secretary of
State is of the view that your presence in the UK would pose a
genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the
fundamental interests of society. The Secretary of State is
satisfied that your statements about Muslims and their beliefs, as
expressed in your film Fitna and elsewhere, would threaten
community harmony and therefore public security in the UK.
You are advised that should you travel to the UK and seek admission
an Immigration Officer will take into account the Secretary of
State's view. If, in accordance with regulation 21 of the
immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, the
Immigration Officer is statisfied that your exclusion is justified
on grounds of public policy and/or public security, you will be
refused admission to the UK under regulation 19. You would have a
right of appeal against any refusal of admission, exercisable from
outside the UK.
Yours sincerely,
Irving N. Jones
On behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department
There's more at [2]Brussels Journal about the story, which has an
internal British Parliamentary political dimension.
I definitely do not support the British decision, and I would oppose
any such decision by the U.S. government (not that I know of any in
the wind). But I should note, for those who are interested in
comparing European law and American law on free speech (as I sometimes
do), that the American precedent on this question, [3]Kleindienst v.
Mandel (1972), generally allows the U.S. government to exclude
speakers based on their political views.
(Thanks to [4]John Derbyshire (NRO's The Corner) for the pointer; for
my views about the Dutch prosecution of Wilders, see [5]here.)
References
1. http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3793
2. http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3793
3. http://supreme.justia.com/us/408/753/case.html
4.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YThjNGM3NjgxMmQ5MTYxZTRjMGViNDZhYWJkNDQxODk=
5. http://volokh.com/posts/1232576675.shtml
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