The Australian government has revoked the visa of American rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, following the release of a controversial song titled: “Heil Hitler,” which promotes Nazi ideology.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the decision on Tuesday, stating that the visa cancellation came after a reassessment prompted by the song’s release in May.
The track followed a series of antisemitic remarks by West on social media, including posts on X where he declared, “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi.”
“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,’” Burke told reporters.
He added, “We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry.”
Although West’s earlier comments had not resulted in visa restrictions, Burke said the new material warranted a fresh review that led to the cancellation.
His office, however, declined to disclose the exact date the visa was revoked.
West, married to Australian architect Bianca Censori, has longstanding ties to Australia and was a frequent visitor before the decision.
The move is the latest in a series of recent entry bans imposed by the Australian government, including those targeting pro-Israel influencer Hillel Fuld last month and U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens in October.
