Bob Vylan wins Germany deportation case after 'entry refused over pro-Palestine views'

British punk rap band Bob Vylan announced on Friday that they had won their deportation case in Germany, described as an attempt to silence pro-Palestine activism.

On 15 June, the band's frontman, whose legal name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, was detained at Berlin airport, denied entry into the country and was ultimately deported back home, reportedly due to the band’s pro-Palestine views.

However, before the band was able to challenge the deportation legally, police decided to remove the travel ban due to no legal basis for denial of entry, and the band can now freely travel to the country.

In a statement on Instagram, the band said the move was “once again another attempt to silence and intimidate those that oppose the ongoing genocide in Palestine”, adding that the case highlights the importance of challenging any form of intimidation against speaking out.

The band were not given a reason for the deportation and the ban being lifted.

A police file obtained by The Intercept alleged that Robinson-Foster shared antisemitic narratives and “Hamas propaganda” that “radicalise certain segments of the [German] population” and serve as “ideological justification” for “terrorist groups” or individuals.

Robinson-Foster drew worldwide attention over his support for the Palestinian cause, especially after leading a chant against the Israeli forces, “death, death to the IDF”, at Glastonbury in 2025. The performance was investigated, and he was not charged.

The file also reportedly said the frontman posed a threat to Germany’s public security and public order and that allowing him into the country would cause “considerable reputational damage” by suggesting that the country was not acting against “the spread of the propagated antisemitism and the associated calls to violence”.

This was the first time Bob Vylan were denied entry into a country. Following last year’s Glastonbury performance, Bob Vylan had their US visas revoked, and the band revealed they have previously been stopped for questioning at European borders.

The singer recalled a time when Belgian border officials questioned the band’s drummer about the Germany incident despite not having travelled there.

Following Vylan’s chant, the band’s September tour in Germany was cancelled last year.