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Former head of the right-wing extremist “Identitarian Movement” in Austria: Martin Sellner

Photo: Alex Halada / AFP

The nationwide entry ban imposed by the city of Potsdam in March against the former head of the right-wing extremist “Identitarian Movement” in Austria, Martin Sellner, does not currently apply. After Sellner filed an urgent application against the ban, the responsible administrative court in Potsdam declared on Monday: "As is usual in urgent proceedings - to avert a fait accompli - the respondent has been asked by the court not to enforce the entry ban until the urgent application has been decided ." The "Tagesspiegel" previously reported.

It is currently not possible to predict when a decision will be made on the urgent application; those involved still have the opportunity to comment, the spokesman said.

Federal police are also taking action against Sellner

The background to the entry ban is a meeting of right-wing extremists, right-wing conservatives and AfD officials in November in a villa on Lehnitzsee in Potsdam. Sellner, the leading head of the “Identitarian Movement” (IB) in German-speaking countries, had presented plans for large-scale “remigration”, i.e. the deportation of millions of immigrants and Germans with a migration background. The meeting, which was uncovered in January by the research platform “Correctiv,” led to protests across Germany. AfD politicians as well as individual members of the CDU and the ultra-conservative Values ​​Union also took part in the meeting.

In parallel with the city of Potsdam, the federal police are also taking action against right-wing extremists. As SPIEGEL learned from security circles, the federal police made an entry in the internal wanted database in January. Sellner is therefore threatened with deportation if he enters Germany again. According to information from security circles, the basis is a danger forecast from the police. The formal entry ban followed in March.

An entry ban against right-wing extremists from other EU countries is rare, but not without precedent. Sellner was also arrested in 2018 in Great Britain, which was still part of the EU at the time, while attempting to enter the country and taken to a deportation facility. The following year, the USA imposed an entry ban on him.

czl/dpa