Roman Abramovich barred from UK, risks losing Chelsea ownership

Chelsea billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, has been barred from living in the United Kingdom, local media reports.

This comes after the 55-year-old was named by MPs on Tuesday as being one of 35 oligarchs identified by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as one of the ‘key enablers’ of the ‘kleptocracy’ run by the country’s president Vladimir Putin.

According to reports, immigration officials are “under clear instruction to work towards ensuring Mr Abramovich( who owns a £125million mansion near Kensington Palace) cannot base himself in the UK.”

The Chelsea owner withdrew an application for a UK Tier 1 investor visa in 2018 as he wants to be resident in the UK, but any application for a permanent visa is almost certain to be turned down.

According to DailyMail, Abramovic who denies he is close to the Kremlin or has done anything that would merit sanctions being imposed against him has not been seen at the club for months.

Having secured Israeli citizenship in 2018, allowing him to enter Britain for up to six months, Abramovic Israeli passport last October to make a short trip to London.

The Sun, quoting a senior source, reported that any attempt by the oligarch to apply for a permanent visa would “almost certainly be rejected”.

Meanwhile, Abramovic could be stripped of his ownership of World Champions, Chelsea Football Club.

This comes as Labour Minister of Parliament, Chris Bryant, called for the seizure of his assets as part of sanctions against Russia.

The MP for the Rhondda says Abramovich, “admitted in court proceedings that he paid for political influence’ and has ‘links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity.”

Bryant told the House of Commons, via The Sun: “Following some of the reports in The Sun and other newspapers today.

“I’ve got hold of a leaked document from 2019 from the Home Office, which says, in relation to Mr. Abramovich.

“As part of HMGs Russia strategy, aimed at targeting illicit finance and malign activity, Abramovich remains of interest to HMG due to his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices.

“An example of this is Abramovich admitting in court proceedings that he paid for political influence.

“Therefore HMG is focused on ensuring individuals linked to illicit finance and malign activity are unable to base themselves in the UK and will use the relevant tools at its disposal including immigration powers to prevent this.

“That’s nearly three years ago, and yet remarkably little has been done in relation Surely Mr Abramovich should no longer be able to own a football club in this country?

“Surely we should be looking at seizing some of his assets, including his 152 million pound home? And making sure that other people who’ve had tier one visas like this are not engaged in malign activity in the UK.”