Anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez banned from entering UK

An anti-Islam influencer has been banned from entering the UK over her extremist views ahead of a rally in London next month, Sky News understands.

Valentina Gomez was due to speak at the Unite the Kingdom rally, which is being organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, on 16 May, and posted on X that her UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA) had been approved.

But after backlash from MPs and campaigners, the government has excluded the US-based Christian influencer because her presence "would not be conducive to the public good", Sky News understands.

This is the same reason given for Kanye West's permission to travel to the UK to headline the Wireless festival in London being blocked by the government. West had been heavily criticised in ⁠the past ​for antisemitic remarks.

After Ms Gomez was banned from entering the UK, she wrote on X: "I'm coming to England on a boat. They can try to ban me, but they cannot ban the TRUTH. See you May 16th."

In an accompanying video she racially abuses Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and claims her ban is "because I'm not coming to rape or kill little girls".

The influencer uses social media to share her anti-Islam views and has previously posted a video of herself burning a Koran with a flamethrower.

The government has discretion to ban foreign nationals from the UK if their presence is not considered "conducive to the public good".

A ban can be ordered by the home secretary personally, and government guidance states it will normally involve serious issues such as national security, war crimes, corruption or extremism.

Sky News understands that in Ms Gomez's case, the government blocked her entry on the grounds that the democratic right to expression does not extend to promoting hatred or extremism.

The 26-year-old influencer attended and spoke at a previous Unite the Kingdom rally, to which between 110,000 and 150,000 people turned up.

She told the told the crowd at the event in September: "If these rapist Muslims take over they will not only rape your women, they will behead your sons."

The Muslim Council of Britain wrote to Ms Mahmood expressing concern about allowing Ms Gomez to enter the UK, saying to do so would "lead to less safety and security on the streets of Britain".

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The council has welcomed the decision to block her from entering the UK, saying: "People who propagate hate speech and division should not be given free entry to the United Kingdom.

"This decision is the right course of action by the UK government and this should be a precedent for others who chose to promote disinformation and hatred."

Last week, Homelessness charity Centrepoint said it had cut ties with Sharon Osbourne after she expressed support for next month's Unite the Kingdom rally.

(c) Sky News 2026: Anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez banned from entering UK