Omar Bin Laden, the son of notorious al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is now searching for a permanent place to live after being expelled from France.
French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, confirmed on Tuesday that Bin Laden, who had already left France in 2023, is now permanently barred from returning to the country.
This decision follows controversial social media posts from 2023, which allegedly contained content that “glorified terrorism.”
Retailleau emphasized that French law explicitly forbids any form of public expression that either supports or celebrates terrorism, stating that it is illegal to “present or comment favorably either terrorism in general or terrorist acts already committed.”
According to ‘Le Publicateur Libre’, a French local newspaper, a now-deleted X account with the handle @omarbinladin1 posted a message on May 2, 2023, commemorating the 12th anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death.
The post allegedly paid homage to the infamous orchestrator of the September 11, 2001, attacks that destroyed New York City’s World Trade Center.
This post led to a formal investigation into Bin Laden. However, he refuted the allegations, insisting that they were based on “false information,” as reported by ‘Le Publicateur Libre’.
Despite his defense, he received an expulsion order and left France in October 2023.
Bin Laden’s residency permit, which he had obtained by virtue of his marriage to a British citizen, was also revoked at that time.
In addition to his expulsion, he was banned from re-entering France for two years. His recent attempt to appeal against the expulsion was denied by a French court last Friday.
In the wake of the court’s ruling, Minister Retailleau issued an “administrative ban on entry,” which he stressed ensures that “Mr. Binladin cannot return to France for any reason whatsoever.”
Although this ban is indefinite, Bin Laden has the option to request its review after one year, with the Interior Ministry reassessing it every five years.
Retailleau, known for his hard-line stance and role in France’s new right-wing government, has sought to make his mark with bold policy proposals and statements.
Since taking office in September, he has vowed to reduce immigration and to “fight political Islam,” while also suggesting that the French concept of *État de droit*—similar to the rule of law—should not be considered “intangible nor sacred.”
Omar Bin Laden first made France his home in 2016. In a 2022 television interview, he spoke about finding solace in painting and expressed his relief at feeling “freed from the responsibility” of his father’s past actions.
However, with his expulsion, his efforts to move past his father’s legacy seem increasingly complicated.
