Australia says it cancelled Kanye West’s visa over Heil Hitler song

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The American rapper released the song that praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler across social media and music streaming platforms in May.

PHOTO: REUTERS

SYDNEY – Kanye West, also known as Ye, has had his Australian visa cancelled after he released Heil Hitler, a song promoting Nazism, the country’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on July 2.

The American rapper released the song that praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler across social media and music streaming platforms in May.

The song came a few months after West made a string of anti-Semitic posts on X, which included comments such as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi”.

Mr Burke said that while previous offensive comments made by West did not affect his visa status, officials “looked at it again” after the song’s release.

“It was a lower level (visa),and the officials still looked at the law and said you’re going to have a song and promote that sort of Nazism. We don’t need that in Australia,” he told national broadcaster ABC.

“We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry,” he added.

Mr Burke added that West has family in Australia and has been a long-time visitor prior to the visa cancellation. The singer married his wife, Bianca Censori, an Australian architectural designer, in December 2022.

Mr Burke’s office declined to comment on the exact date of the visa cancellation.

In October 2024, US conservative influencer Candace Owens was also barred from entry