Omar Bin Laden, the son of the late Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, has been permanently banned from re-entering France, where he has resided since 2016. The decision, made by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, follows allegations that Omar Bin Laden glorified terrorism in social media posts from last year.
Living in Normandy as a landscape portrait painter, Omar Bin Laden previously held a residency permit in France, which he obtained after marrying UK citizen Zaina Mohamed Al-Sabah. However, his residency was temporarily revoked in 2023 due to the controversial social media posts, prompting him to leave the country.
Retailleau stated that Omar Bin Laden is now banned from returning to France “for any reason whatsoever.” Following the expulsion order, he returned to Qatar, where he had previously lived with his wife.
Omar Bin Laden is the fourth-oldest son of Osama Bin Laden. According to the BBC, he distanced himself from his father in 2000 after training at jihadist camps in Afghanistan, as he did not want to be associated with the ongoing killing of civilians. In 2009, he published a memoir detailing his challenging upbringing while his father evaded intelligence agencies worldwide. Although he has condemned his father's actions, many have accused him of using apologetic rhetoric.
Retailleau, who was appointed in September, has emphasized a commitment to lowering immigration in France to “fight political Islam.” He explained that Omar Bin Laden's social media posts sympathetic towards terrorism prompted the expulsion order.
“I am today issuing an administrative ban on Mr. Omar Bin Laden, the eldest son of the international terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Mr. Bin Laden, who has lived in Orne for several years as the spouse of a British national, posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that were an apology for terrorism,” Retailleau said on X. “As a result, the Prefect of Orne issued an OQTF and obtained Mr. Bin Laden's departure. The courts have confirmed the regularity of this decision taken for national security. The administrative ban on the territory guarantees that Mr. Bin Laden will not be able to return to France for any reason whatsoever,” he said on X.
“The courts have confirmed the legality of this decision taken in the interests of national security,” Retailleau clarified.
