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Govt allows far-right Dutch MP to enter UK

The government will allow a far-right Dutch lawmaker who made a controversial film about Islam to visit London after a ban on him entering the country was overturned, the Home Office said Thursday.

Geert Wilders Geert Wilders (born September 6, 1963 in Venlo) is a Dutch right-wing politician who is best known for his views favoring the restriction of immigration, particularly from non-Western countries, and his criticism of Islam (including banning the Koran). , who was stopped at Heathrow airport when he tried to visit in February, plans to visit Friday and will hold a press conference outside parliament, his spokesman said.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson was "not minded" to refuse entry to Wilders, after the Dutch lawmaker won an appeal Tuesday against the decision to turn him back, said a ministry spokesman.

"We are disappointed by the court's decision. The government opposes extremism in all its forms. Any European visitor's right to enter the UK will be considered on its merits by an immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important.  officer," said the spokesman.

But he added: "On this occasion the home secretary is not minded to recommend that Wilders is denied admission to the UK.

"Clearly Mr Wilders' statements and behaviour during a visit will inevitably impact on any future decisions to admit him."

The 46-year-old leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV PVV Partij Voor de Vrijheid (Party For Freedom; The Netherlands)
PVV Pin Verification Value
PVV Programvareverkstedet (Software Workshop, Norwegian organization)
PVV Potato Virus V
) was sent back to the Netherlands on a plane shortly after being detained by immigration officials on arrival at London's Heathrow airport on February 12.

At the time the Home Office said Wilders was turned back to stop him spreading "hatred and violent messages", a decision he appealed to an asylum and immigration tribunal The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) is a tribunal constituted in the United Kingdom with jurisdiction to hear appeals from many immigration and asylum decisions. It was created on 4 April 2005, replacing the former Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA).  in London which ruled in his favour on Tuesday.

Wilders' film "Fitna Fitna (فتنة) is an Arabic word, generally regarded as very difficult to translate but at the same time is considered to be an all encompassing word referring to schism, secession, upheaval and anarchy at once. ", which likens Islam to Nazism and juxtaposes images of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States with pictures of the Koran, has been described as "offensively anti-Islamic" by UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

Wilders is due to hold talks with Lord Malcolm Pearson, who invited him for the abortive abortive /abor·tive/ (ah-bor´tiv)
1. incompletely developed.

2. abortifacient (1).

3. cutting short the course of a disease.


a·bor·tive
adj.
1.
 visit in February. He had been scheduled to screen his anti-Islam film "Fitna" in the House of Lords House of Lords: see Parliament. .

His spokesman Gaelle de Graaff said Wilders planned to hold a press conference outside parliament at 12:00pm, and was expected to return to the Netherlands on the same day.

The PVV has nine of 150 seats in the Dutch parliament and came second in the June elections to the European Parliament with 17 percent of the vote. Wilders faces trial at home for inciting hatred against Muslims.
Copyright 2009 AFP European Edition
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
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Author:AFP
Publication:AFP European Edition
Date:Oct 15, 2009
Words:381
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