Polish presidential candidate and right-wing leader Sławomir Mentzen says he was detained for more than three hours at a London airport during a private family visit because British authorities feared he might attend a political event.
Mentzen, leader of the New Hope party and a member of parliament within Poland’s Confederation alliance, said he was stopped at passport control after arriving in London with his wife and children. According to him, border officers questioned him about the purpose of his trip, where he planned to stay, and whether he intended to attend or speak at any political meetings.
Mentzen, who finished third in Poland’s recent presidential election, said officials told him his name had been flagged by an unspecified organisation, but gave no further explanation.
In a post on X, he wrote: “I was detained for more than three hours at a London airport today because the British were afraid I might speak at some political meeting that I wasn’t even planning to attend.”
He added that officials said they were acting on information from “some organisation,” but could not explain which one or why he had been flagged.
“After more than three hours of waiting, they gave me back my passport and said I could go,” Mentzen wrote. “With no explanation as to who or why someone did not want me entering the United Kingdom. They wasted a day of my family trip to London, and I still did not even find out what this was all about.”
The Polish politician sharply criticised Britain afterwards, accusing the country of using border controls to restrict political speech.
“Great Britain is a totalitarian state,” he wrote. “Most likely, if I had actually planned to attend some public meeting, they would not have let me in.”
He also accused the UK of applying “pre-emptive political censorship,” arguing that controversial political figures face tougher scrutiny than illegal migrants or extremists.
“If I were an Islamic fundamentalist publicly calling for gays to be thrown from towers…I wouldn’t have a problem,” he wrote.
Mentzen, whose party is known for its anti-immigration and libertarian positions, added: “Illegal immigrants, criminals, and basically anyone who wants to come are welcomed here. That is perfectly fine with them. What is not fine is a Polish politician who wanted to spend the weekend with his family in London.”
The case has drawn comparisons with other recent disputes involving conservative commentators. Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek previously claimed her UK travel authorisation was revoked after criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while comedian Graham Linehan said he was detained at Heathrow Airport over social media posts.
Linehan later described Britain as a “dystopian clown show” following the incident.
The UK authorities have not publicly commented on Mentzen’s case.
