Thousands of England fans are banned from travelling to Euro 2024 in Germany as the Government bids to clamp down on football hooligans
- The government began cracking down by issuing more than 1,600 ban orders
- The crackdown will prevent fans in question from attending matches in Germany
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Thousands of football fans are not allowed to follow England at the European Championship this summer, due to the government’s strict measures against hooligans.
More than 1,600 fans banned from football will be forced to surrender their passports to police from June 4 until the European Championship final on July 14 to ensure they do not attempt to attend matches in Germany.
Anyone who fails to surrender their passport or attempts to travel to Germany faces a large fine or prison sentence, with a maximum sentence of six months.
The new powers to force fans to hand over their passports have been introduced following a wave of football-related violence in recent years, with police making 2,264 arrests during matches last season and issuing 682 new banning notices, the highest number since 2011.
“The vast majority of fans are law-abiding, but we will have zero tolerance for those who disrupt this incredible event,” Police Minister Chris Philp said.
Thousands of England fans are not allowed to travel to the 2024 European Championship in Germany
The British government is trying to tackle increasing football hooliganism
“These measures ensure that true football fans can travel safely to the tournament and prevent hooligans from committing these crimes abroad. Violence, abuse and disorder have no place in the game we love.”
A football ban is imposed by the court after a conviction for a football-related offence. This may include violence, disorder, pitch invasions, the use of pyrotechnics and online hate crime.
They ban people from attending regulated football matches for up to five years, and up to 10 years if a custodial sentence is imposed.