A Belfast-based human rights organisation has questioned why two members of the Proud Boys were granted permission to enter the UK after they travelled to Northern Ireland and produced a documentary with loyalist and anti-immigration activists.

Enrique Tarrio and Barry Ramey visited Belfast and met figures from right-wing and loyalist circles. While in the city, they made a short film about the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie and the riots that followed. The documentary presents the view that Catholic and Protestant communities have set aside historical divisions to oppose rising immigration.

The film features interviews with several individuals linked to loyalist activism. Among them is Clifford Peeples, who was jailed for ten years in 2001 for possessing two hand grenades and a pipe bomb in his car. Also appearing are Richard Inman, associated with Tommy Robinson, and Advance UK activist Sarah White, who posted a photograph with Ramey alongside the caption “Celebrating being WHITE is absolutely fine.” Tarrio later said he also spoke to people from republican backgrounds who shared similar concerns but did not wish to appear on camera.

Tarrio and Ramey are former leaders of the Proud Boys, a group the UK Intelligence and Security Committee has described as “a right-wing nationalist extremist group” and which Canada has designated a terrorist entity. Both men received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in the January 6 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Tarrio was identified by the court as the ultimate leader of the conspiracy, while Ramey was found to have played a pivotal role in advancing the riot. They were pardoned and released by President Trump in January 2025.

The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) has raised concerns about the pair being granted Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs). The CAJ pointed out that existing rules allow an ETA to be refused or revoked if a person has a significant criminal history or if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. A spokesperson noted that grounds for exclusion include demonstrating unacceptable behaviours, such as expressing views that foster hatred and could lead to inter-community violence in the UK, and that the Home Secretary has broad discretionary powers to exclude individuals. The Home Office has recently revoked visas on similar grounds, including those of left-wing commentator Hasan Piker and right-wing activist Valentina Gomez.

Tarrio stated that he received his ETA in November 2025 and has visited the UK several times since. He said his criminal convictions were overturned last year and that a solicitor advised him he did not need to declare them during the application. He added that UK security services would have declined the visa or refused him entry at the airport if they considered him a threat. He also said he denounced violence and attacks on police officers and believed his group had been misrepresented by media outlets.

The Home Office declined to comment on the visas granted to Tarrio and Ramey.