Popular far-right activist Tommy Robinson was detained at London Heathrow Airport under powers contained in the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, in the latest controversy involving him as he prepares to appear at a debate hosted by the Oxford Union.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said he was held for nearly three hours and that authorities seized his mobile phones. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a man in his 40s was stopped after returning to the United Kingdom from Russia via Turkey, interviewed by officers and released after his communication devices were seized.
Under the 2019 legislation, officers at ports and border crossings have powers to stop, question, search and detain individuals suspected of involvement in hostile activity, as The Guardian points out.
Robinson's supporters described the detention as an attack on free speech and journalism. In a statement posted on X, a spokesperson for Robinson claimed authorities were seeking information about his contacts and sources, calling the action "an attack on free speech" and "an attack on investigative journalism."
The detention comes after Robinson posted footage on social media showing him meeting Elon Musk's father in Moscow. It also follows a period in which he has attracted renewed attention online amid protests linked to racial tensions and public disorder in parts of Britain.
The episode coincides with growing controversy surrounding Robinson's scheduled appearance at the Oxford Union. Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown has called on the debating society to cover the costs of what she described as a "large-scale security operation" expected to accompany the event.
Brown said extensive policing and road closures would disrupt residents and businesses and argued that taxpayers should not bear the expense.
The detention also fits into a broader pattern of British authorities using immigration and security powers against politically controversial figures. In April, the Home Office barred U.S.-based anti-Islam activist Valentina Gómez from entering the country ahead of a rally linked to Robinson, saying her presence would not be "conducive to the public good."
More recently, U.S. political commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur were prevented from entering the United Kingdom after their electronic travel authorizations were revoked on similar grounds.
Robinson was previously cleared of a terror-related charge after refusing to provide police access to his phone during a stop at the Channel Tunnel in July 2024. A judge later ruled that the legality of that stop had not been established.
