On October 7 (local time), French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced that Omar bin Laden has been banned from returning to France, where he lived for many years before being deported in 2023. Omar bin Laden, 43 years old, had settled in the Normandy region, northern France with his British wife, making a living as a painter.
According to Retailleau, Omar bin Laden "posted statements on social media in 2023 that promoted terrorism." For this reason, the local authorities ordered his expulsion from France. The French court later confirmed the legality of this decision, saying it was in the interests of national security.
The ban also prevents Omar bin Laden from returning to France for any reason. According to information from the Orne department, Omar bin Laden had been living in the town of Domfront-en-Poiraie since 2018 before being deported.
On the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death in May 2023, social media posts purportedly written by Omar bin Laden praising Al-Qaeda and terrorism surfaced. Although Omar denied being the author, he did not condemn the posts, leading to France’s decision to expel him.
Omar bin Laden has said he had nothing to do with his father's actions and feels free to live in France. However, people close to him, including Pascal Martin, his artistic agent, believe that Omar bin Laden is mentally damaged and may be affected by the ban. Martin insists that Omar did not support terrorism or the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Another friend of Mr Omar's, Mr Harry Atterton, 87, said the decision to deport him was "absurd" and "scandalous", as Mr Omar had tried to distance himself from his father's ideals.
