Shabana Mahmood BANS influencer from entering Britain after she burned Quran with flamethrower

Oliver Partridge
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:41:21 +0000

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has blocked an American influencer from travelling to Britain, despite having already secured clearance through the UK's electronic visa system.

Colombian-born social media figure Valentina Gomez, 26, who has aligned herself with Tommy Robinson, had been scheduled to address the "Unite the Kingdom" demonstration in London next month.

Ministers intervened at the eleventh hour, determining allowing Ms Gomez into the country would not serve the public good.

The move follows a comparable decision taken earlier this month, when authorities refused entry to rapper Kanye West on account of antisemitic comments.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Ms Gomez has previously provoked anger during appearances in Britain, where she delivered speeches directed towards Muslim communities.

At a rally last year, the Christian influencer claimed "rapist Muslims" were "taking over" the country. And she called on British citizens to "fight for this nation".

She also directed comments at police officers, urging them to cease "following orders".

Last year's gathering drew an estimated 100,000 attendees, making it what is thought to be among the largest political demonstrations in British history.

Government officials emphasised while peaceful expression of views remains a democratic right, this protection does not extend to "the promotion of hatred and extremist ideology".

In the United States, Ms Gomez has attracted similar controversy through such provocative actions.

During an unsuccessful bid for a Congressional seat, she set fire to a copy of the Quran and publicly declared her intention to eliminate Islam from Texas.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Benjamin Netanyahu condemns Israeli soldier’s smashing of Jesus statue ‘in strongest terms’

TfL driver suspended for saying Jews ‘aren’t safe’ to ride Bakerloo line while he’s driving

Greece scraps new European Union fingerprint checks for British travellers

These incidents formed part of a pattern of behaviour that ultimately led British authorities to conclude her presence would "pose risks to public order".

A Home Office spokesman confirmed the exclusion, stating: "The Home Secretary has the power to cancel a person's permission to enter or stay in the UK.

"We recognise the democratic right that people must be free to peacefully express their views; however, this does not include promoting hatred and extremist views."

The Muslim Council of Britain raised concerns following Ms Gomez's initial ETA approval, stating: "The decision highlights a clear double standards in how freedom of speech is applied and can potentially lead to less safety and security on the streets of Britain."

The organisation noted others had been refused entry for rhetoric aimed at different religious communities, questioning "whose speech is deemed unacceptable, and who is permitted".

The decision to exclude her represents the latest in a series of moves by the Home Office to prevent individuals deemed to hold extremist views from entering the country and potentially inciting hatred at public gatherings.

Rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, was due to headline Wireless Festival this summer but was banned from entering the UK on similar grounds to Ms Gomez.

Among many of the controversial antics that sparked furore was Mr West releasing a song called Heil Hitler, as well advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.

He has also faced bans from social media platform X for publishing series after series of antisemitic posts.

As a result of his inability to attend the festival scheduled for July 10 to 12 at London's Finsbury Park, Wireless was thereafter cancelled entirely, leaving prospective attendees to seek refunds for purchased tickets.