US Vice President JD Vance heaped pressure on Labour to ban the Muslim Brotherhood over “Islamist indoctrination” fears.
The United Arab Emirates is sensationally restricting students from enrolling at UK universities amid fears campuses are being radicalised by Islamist groups.
Fury in the UAE has intensified over the UK’s decision not to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood, which it deems to be a terrorist organisation.
Researchers in the UK believe the group has tried to “place” supporters in “schools, councils and charities” to spread their ideology.
Abu Dhabi federal funding for state scholarships has been limited for citizens who hope to study in Britain
Responding to a news report on the UAE’s bombshell move, Mr Vance declared: “Absolutely insane headline.
“Some of our best Muslim allies in the Gulf think the Islamist indoctrination in certain parts of the west is too dangerous.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Decent Muslim countries cannot believe how weak the UK is on extremism.”
There are concerns in Britain that the group has infiltrated university campuses, using student organisations to invite Islamist speakers to give lectures that flirt with extremism.
Some 8,500 students from the UAE came to the UK to study last year.
Dr Alan Mendoza, Chief of the Henry Jackson Society, in a submission to a Parliamentary inquiry into extremism, warned “Islamist movements” are trying to “influence public institutions from the inside”.
He told MPs: “There is growing concern that Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood are trying to influence public institutions from the inside. A report presented to French President Emmanuel Macron in May 2025 – entitled “Frères musulmans et islamisme politique en France” (“The Muslim Brotherhood and political Islamism in France) –warned that the Muslim Brotherhood is using a strategy of “entryism” in France.
“This means placing supporters in schools, local councils, and charities in order to quietly spread their ideology and change institutions from within. The report describes how they build local networks that promote strict religious practices and reject democratic values.
“Although this case focuses on France, the same risks apply in the UK. The Henry Jackson Society has long warned that Islamist extremism is not limited to violence. It can also take the form of political Islamism, which aims to influence public life and weaken democratic norms.
“Prevent must stay alert to these threats. It should not hesitate to investigate how groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood may be building influence in Britain’s public institutions, and what this means for national cohesion.”