Austrian far-right activist Martin Sellner has been banned from entering Germany for three years following his deportation from Switzerland.
In a recent online video published on Tuesday, March 29, via the X platform, Sellner revealed that German authorities had communicated through his legal representative, notifying him of a three-year prohibition from entering the country, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
The expulsion of the Austrian activist has sparked considerable debate online, even attracting the attention of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, owner of X, who questioned the move’s legality.
Sellner, known for his work as a graphic illustrator and his marriage to a Conservative American political activist and writer, faced previous bans from platforms like X but were reinstated earlier this month.
In 2021, Austrian prosecutors dropped an investigation into Sellner’s possible ties to white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings that killed 51 Muslims. The investigation followed revelations that Sellner had received a €1,500 donation from Tarrant in 2018.
German Authorities Banned Sellner Despite EU Citizenship
As NTV News reports, although Sellner, an Austrian citizen, theoretically retains the right to enter Germany because of his European Union passport, the authorities have used their power in exceptional circumstances. Citing Section 6 of the Freedom of Movement Act, German officials justified the ban as necessary to maintain public order.
Sellner’s recent activities have sparked further controversy. In November, he met with right-wing extremists as well as politicians from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parties in Potsdam.
During the rally, he advocated a comprehensive “emigration” plan aimed at deporting individuals with a migrant background and those deemed undesirable from Germany. Corrective journalists disclosed the meeting and its agenda.
Sellner’s past leadership role in the “Identitarian Movement” organisation, categorised as a right-wing extremist, adds to the scrutiny of his actions and associations.
Sellner’s Entry Denied by UK & US
Moreover, other countries have seen Sellner as a danger before. Both the United Kingdom and the United States wouldn’t let Sellner in over the last few years.
In the US, they stopped him because he had talked directly with Brenton Tarrant, the Australian who killed 51 Muslims mentioned above.
EU usually ban extremists when something big happens. For example, in 2020, Germany said no to Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan. He burned a Quran at a protest in Copenhagen, so Germany didn’t want him coming when his group planned a protest in Berlin’s Neukölln district, where lots of Muslims live.
