Senior Labour MP Emily Thornberry has launched a scathing attack on the government's handling of the case involving activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, citing 'serious shortcomings' and 'embarrassing failures' in due diligence and information sharing.
Call for a Special Envoy to Prevent Future Failures
In a letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Thornberry, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, argued that a dedicated envoy for complex detention cases could have averted the problems. She stated that such an official would have been responsible for conducting thorough background and social media checks.
This recommendation follows a 2024 pledge by then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy to appoint such an envoy, a promise which remains unfulfilled. Thornberry contends that had this system been in place, the recent controversies could have been avoided.
The Controversial Return of Alaa Abd el-Fattah
The activist, who was granted British citizenship in 2021 under Boris Johnson's government, returned to the UK on Boxing Day after being pardoned and released from prison in Egypt. His case had been championed by successive UK administrations.
However, his arrival was swiftly overshadowed by the resurfacing of decade-old social media posts. In tweets from 2010 and 2011, Abd el-Fattah made inflammatory comments, including calling for the killing of Zionists, colonialists, and police officers, referring to British people as "dogs and monkeys," and making light of suicide bombings.
Abd el-Fattah has since apologised "unequivocally" for the posts. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who initially welcomed his release, has condemned the tweets, stating he was previously unaware of them.
Political Fallout and Government Review
The revelations have ignited a fierce political row. The Conservative Party and Reform UK have both called for Abd el-Fattah to be deported and stripped of his British citizenship. Shadow Home Secretary Robert Jenrick has amplified these demands, also highlighting a social media post from Abd el-Fattah's sister, Mona Seif, which praised the "imagination" of Hamas following its October 2023 attack on Israel.
In response to the escalating situation, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has initiated a review into what she terms 'serious information failures' surrounding the case. Despite the political pressure, government sources indicate the Home Office is unlikely to revoke his citizenship, as the historic posts are not believed to meet the high legal threshold required for such action.
Human rights campaigners have warned that stripping his citizenship would be an 'extremely authoritarian step'. The case continues to raise profound questions about government vetting procedures, information sharing between departments, and the handling of complex consular cases involving British nationals detained overseas.
