The UK has banned both Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and The Young Turk‘s Cenk Uygur from entering the country, and in doing so prevented their upcoming appearances at SXSW London and Oxford University this June.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has blocked the entry of the two political commentators and streamers (who are also nephew and uncle), and in a statement to Variety the UK’s Home Office confirmed the news and explained this was happening “on the grounds that their presence in the UK may not be conducive to the public good.”
The Times (UK) has further reporting, claiming greater insight behind the Home Office decision regarding Uygur’s ban (ahead of Piker’s ban being revealed). The right-wing paper claims it relates to several factors, including remarks made about Israel since 2023’s October 7 attacks, what it calls “classic antisemitic tropes,” and comments during a recent interview with Piers Morgan regarding the prevalence of Islamic “grooming gangs” in UK towns.
The UK allows visa-less entry from overseas with what’s called an ETA—Electronic Travel Authorization—much like the U.S.’s ESTA visa waiver program. It allows a visitor to stay for a maximum of six months with all the usual caveats, and is used for both vacations and brief work visits. Both Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur seemingly discovered their applications for an ETA were denied when trying to get on flights to the UK. Uygur wrote on X, “I’ve been banned from the UK. I tried to get on a flight to London to attend SXSW London and give a speech at Oxford. I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore? This is oppression of Western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country!”
Piker quoted his uncle’s post and wrote, “the uk has revoked my visa as well. all at the behest of israel. the west is betraying “liberal values” for a genocidal fascist foreign government. soon we will all become israel.”
the uk has revoked my visa as well. all at the behest of israel. the west is betraying “liberal values” for a genocidal fascist foreign government. soon we will all become israel. https://t.co/UqQG1dogOI
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) May 31, 2026
The UK has recently experienced a series of truly shocking antisemitic attacks, and the governing Labour party has been beleaguered by claims of antisemitism for the last decade, hence the response from MPs celebrating this “tough stance against those who pose a serious risk to public order and community cohesion,” as The Times reports was said by Labour’s David Taylor. This is also a part of Mahmood’s attempts to be seen blocking extremists of all ilks, which has this year also included far-right supporters of the UK’s growing MAGA-like rallies, as well as what she described as Islamist hate preachers.
Piker and Uygur’s responses claiming this is the result of far-reaching Israeli influence and power will have hardened the feelings of those already disagreeing with their entry to the UK, while claims from the Home Office that “decisions to refuse or cancel an ETA on these grounds are based solely on an assessment of the potential risk an individual may pose to UK society,” will likely only further the beliefs of others that this is simply about oppressing free speech.
