UK parliament to debate whether to ban Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to a crowd during a campaign stop Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Claremont, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

LONDON, United Kingdom—Britain’s parliament will this month debate whether to ban outspoken US politician Donald Trump from entering the country, the legislative body’s petitions committee said on Tuesday.

Almost 570,000 Britons signed an online petition calling for Republican presidential candidate Trump to be barred from Britain for “hate speech” after his controversial comments targeting Muslims, Mexicans and others.

READ: Trump wants Muslims totally barred entry to US

Some 40,000 people have signed an opposing petition calling for him not to be banned, saying comments made on the US election trail do not concern Britain and citing possible complications to future US-British ties.

Parliament’s 11-member petitions committee said both petitions will be debated on January 18.

British lawmakers are obliged to consider for debate any petition on the government’s official petitions website that reaches 100,000 signatures.

No decisions are taken at the end of the debate.

The government has blocked some controversial figures from entering Britain due to concerns about hate speech.

Trump is the frontrunner in the race to win the Republican nomination for the US 2016 presidential election, and has suggested banning Muslims from entering the United States and labelled Mexican immigrants rapists and drug dealers.

READ: Trump: US ‘a dumping ground for the rest of the world’