Singapore Denies Entry to Nathan Law, Hong Kong Activist

Nathan Law, a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist living in exile, was denied entry to Singapore after arriving at Changi Airport on Saturday and was returned to San Francisco the next day, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs said, citing the country’s national interests. Law said he held a valid visa for a closed-door, invitation-only event and was detained for several hours before being informed his entry had been refused.

Law, who flew from San Francisco, said he was detained at immigration for about four hours and spent roughly 14 hours in Singapore before being put on the earliest flight back to the United States. He said no reason was given at the time for the denial. A spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs told reporters that Law’s entry and presence in Singapore “would not be in Singapore’s national interests.” The ministry added that visa holders remain subject to checks at the point of entry and that Law had been referred for immigration and security assessment on arrival.

Law, now based in London after leaving Hong Kong in 2020, said he believed the decision was political but said he did not know whether external pressure was involved. “I think the decision to deny...