Kanye West, the American rapper now known as Ye, has been officially barred from entering Australia after the release of a highly inflammatory song that glorifies Adolf Hitler.
According to BCC, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, announced that the country has cancelled the artist’s valid visa in the wake of significant public outrage over the song ‘Heil Hitler’, which was released in early May.
Since its debut, West’s song has faced widespread condemnation and has been banned on most music platforms, reflecting the global backlash against his provocative statements.
The polarising figure, who has been open in identifying with Nazi ideologies, has made anti-Semitic comments that have drawn ire not just from fans but from civil rights advocates worldwide.
Burke inadvertently disclosed the information during an interview on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing programme.
The minister was discussing the visa cancellation of another controversial speaker when he addressed Ye’s situation, stating that he would not permit anyone advocating for antisemitism to enter Australia to deliver public speeches.
‘Most of the visas that have been cancelled under this section have been where someone was seeking to make a public speech. The only one I can think of where it wasn’t for public advocacy the visa but we cancelled it anyway, would be Kanye West,’ Burke said.
Despite his family ties to Australia — his wife, Bianca Censori, is a Melbourne native — Burke noted that the rapper’s history of offensive comments prompted officials to reconsider his visa following the release of the controversial song.
‘He no longer has a valid visa in Australia.’
When prompted about the sustainability of the ban in light of potential future concerts in Australia, Burke was resolute: ‘I think that what’s not sustainable is to import hatred.’
A spokesperson for the Home Affairs Department stressed that they do not comment on individual cases, but stated that all non-citizens looking to travel to Australia must meet character requirements as outlined in the Migration Act.
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