US Vice President JD Vance hit out at the UK as he shared a report about the United Arab Emirates allegedly being concerned about students in the UK being radicalised by Islamist groups while on campus. It comes as Abu Dhabi federal funding for state scholarships has been limited for citizens who hope to study in the UK, officials told the Financial Times and the Times.
Responding to the reports, Mr Vance wrote on X: “Absolutely insane headline”. People familiar with the situation say tensions have arisen because of a decision not to ban the Muslim Brotherhood, amid ongoing worries about the group’s political and ideological influence. While the organisation is not proscribed in the UK or many European countries, the United Arab Emirates has designated it a terrorist group and has repeatedly urged European governments, including Britain, to follow suit.
Dozens of people suspected of being members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested and imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates as part of a wider crackdown on the group.
Authorities in the UAE have long viewed the Brotherhood as a security threat, and these detentions were carried out as part of efforts to limit what the government sees as the organisation’s political influence and activities within the country.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has also vowed to proscribe the brotherhood once he becomes the prime minister.
This is not the first time that the US Vice President has voiced his concern over the matter.
JD Vance has previously criticised several European countries, arguing that they have allowed themselves to become vulnerable to what he describes as radicalisation by Islamist groups.
In past comments, he has suggested that certain European governments failed to manage immigration or security effectively, leading to what he views as social and political instability. His remarks have often been framed as warnings about policies he believes the United States should avoid, rather than direct attacks on specific nations.
