Geert Wilders, the far-right Dutch politician, branded the British Government “the biggest bunch of cowards in Europe” after he flew in to Heathrow yesterday and was promptly put on the first plane back under the Home Secretary's banning order.
“It was the worst welcome of my life,” the Freedom Party MP told The Times as he sat on the runway yesterday evening waiting to return to the Netherlands after being denied entry because he was deemed to pose a threat to public order.
On the flight back, Mr Wilders vowed to appeal against the ban and make another attempt to visit Britain soon. But it became clear last night that Jacqui Smith’s prohibition order had brought Mr Wilders massive publicity in Britain and many more online searches for his controversial antiIslamist film, Fitna.
“I read in The Times this morning that maybe Wilders is a crazy guy but at least he has a right to speak his mind,” he added, paraphrasing the paper’s editorial. “I love Britain and the British people – I only have a problem with the cowardly Government of Gordon Brown.”
The day had started with the Dutch MP determined to test the Government’s entry ban after it was decided that he should not be allowed to attend a screening ofFitna at the House of Lords last night.
Mr Wilders, 45, caught a British Midland flight from Amsterdam brandishing his passport. He said that he would have to be physically restrained from entering the country. “I’ll see what happens at the border. Let them put me in handcuffs,” he said.
“I am going to Great Britain because I was invited by another politician [the UKIP peer Lord Pearson of Rannoch]. I am a democrat. I am serving freedom of speech. They are not only being nasty to me, they are being nasty to freedom of speech. They are more Chamberlain than Churchill.”
The aircraft landed at 2pm but before they could disembark, Mr Wilders and his entourage were confronted by two plain-clothes UK Border Agency guards. Towering over them, the Dutch MP and his two minders offered no resistance and were escorted through passport control into a holding room.
During the long walk along the airport’s corridors, one of his bodyguards asked the officers to relax their grip on the MP. But they kept a tight hold on him as they walked, surrounded by a gaggle of journalists and cameramen.
Among those waiting for Mr Wilders in arrivals was Gerard Batten, UKIP MEP for London. “I thought it would be a nice touch to turn up and welcome him here if he gets through,” he said. He did not. Instead, Mr Wilders was told that he was not being given leave to enter Britain and was ordered to get on the earliest flight out. His 4pm flight back to the Netherlands was delayed after one runway was closed, and he finally took off at 5.30pm. On the aircraft he said that he planned to ask Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch Prime Minister, to appeal against his ban from Britain.
The MP had been invited to attend a showing of his 17-minute film at the House of Lords by Lord Pearson. The film features verses from the Koran with images of terrorist attacks in New York, London and Madrid, and calls on Muslims to remove “hate-preaching” verses from the text. Lord Pearson said that the screening would go ahead regardless.
The decision to refuse Mr Wilders entry provoked Maxime Verhagen, the Dutch Foreign Minister, to call David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, to protest against the decision. “The fact that a Dutch parliamentarian is refused entry to another EU country is highly regrettable,” Mr Verhagen said.
The Home Office said: “The Government opposes extremism in all its forms. It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.”
Source: London Times, Feb 13, 2009