Media commentator Megyn Kelly publicly responded after Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek said the United Kingdom revoked her permission to enter the country, a move she claims came just days after she criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“This is insane!!” Kelly said in response to Vlaardingerbroek’s post detailing the decision.
Vlaardingerbroek said she received an unexpected email from the UK government informing her that her electronic travel authorization (ETA) had been revoked because her presence was deemed “not conducive to the public good.” She said the notice provided no explanation, no right to appeal, and no due process.
The activist linked the decision directly to a social media post she made three days earlier criticizing Starmer over his approach to regulating X, as the British government faces backlash over sexualized deepfake images generated by Elon Musk’s AI tool, Grok.
In that post, Vlaardingerbroek accused Starmer of using women’s safety as a pretext to crack down on free speech while failing to address violent crimes committed by migrant gangs. She described the prime minister as an “evil, despicable man.”
In a video posted Wednesday, Vlaardingerbroek said the timing of the ban was “pretty dystopian” and questioned why she was barred from the UK while, she said, thousands of illegal immigrants enter the country daily without similar scrutiny.
“It’s a very, very severe limitation of my freedom,” she said. “They just decided—Keir Starmer just decided—that someone like me is not welcome in the UK.”
The UK Home Office confirmed that Vlaardingerbroek’s ETA had been cancelled. A Home Office official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said the authorization was revoked for being “non-conducive to the public good,” under post-Brexit rules that require European citizens to obtain prior approval before entering Britain.
Vlaardingerbroek previously traveled to the UK in September, when she spoke at a London rally organized by activist Tommy Robinson. During the event, she called for the “remigration” of immigrants and spoke about what she described as the “replacement of our people.” She said she had planned to return to the UK in May, but is now unable to do so.
A former member of the Dutch Forum for Democracy party, Vlaardingerbroek has gained international attention through media appearances, including interviews with American commentator Tucker Carlson, and through her activity on X, where she has interacted publicly with Elon Musk.
She also played a prominent role in the Dutch farming protests of 2023 opposing EU environmental policies and has advocated for the Netherlands to leave the European Union. In a past interview, she said she would like to become “the new Nigel Farage.”
Kelly’s reaction brought renewed attention to Vlaardingerbroek’s claims, amplifying the issue among U.S. audiences amid broader debates over free speech and government authority in Europe.
In her posts following the decision, Vlaardingerbroek said the ban validated her criticism of the UK government.
“I guess my point that the UK is no longer a free country has been indisputably proven,” she wrote.
