Osama bin Laden's son banned from returning to France, says minister

French authorities ordered Omar bin Laden, a son of slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, to leave the country over posts on social media, France's interior minister announced on Tuesday, October 8.

Omar bin Laden had been living in France's Normandy region but left the country in October 2023 after French authorities withdrew his residency papers and ordered him out, the Interior Ministry said. At the time, authorities also barred him from returning to France for two years, the ministry added.

In a message posted on X on Tuesday, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he imposed an additional ban to ensure that Omar bin Laden "will not be able to return to France for any reason whatsoever." The minister said that the jihadist's son "posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that advocated terrorism."