Kanye West’s Australian visa has been cancelled by the federal government because the American rapper was promoting Nazism through the release of a song called Heil Hitler, Immigration Minister Tony Burke says.
Speaking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing this week, Burke said that the rapper who now goes by Ye “no longer has a valid visa” because “he’s made a lot of offensive comments”, specifically referencing a recent release titled Heil Hitler. Burke said West has been travelling to Australia “for a long time”, and that following his 2022 marriage to Australian designer Bianca Censori, he now has family in the country.
Kanye WestCredit: Washington Post photo by Calla Kessler
“It wasn’t a visa even for the purpose of the concerts; it was a lower level. And the officials still looked at the law and said, ‘if you’re going to have a song and promote that sort of Nazism, we don’t need that in Australia,’” Burke said.
“I think that what’s not sustainable is to import hatred. Like, you know, some people say, ‘Oh, don’t you believe in freedom of speech?’ And for Australian citizens, yeah, you’ve got full freedom of speech. But we have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry.”
What power does the government have to cancel visas?
The Minister for Immigration has various powers to refuse or cancel the visa of any visitor to Australia, and their family, including if the person fails a “character test” and the refusal is deemed in the national interest.
The test states that if the minister believes an individual is at risk of vilifying or inciting discord among a segment of the community they may cancel or refuse a visa. Having a criminal record, association with criminal groups, suspicions of human trafficking and crimes against humanity are also considered in the character test.
Who else has had their visa cancelled?
Revelations regarding West’s visa emerged during a conversation about the cancellation of American-Israeli tech entrepreneur Hillel Fuld’s visa after the man claimed that Islamophobia was rational, and that between 10 and 15 per cent of the planet’s Muslim population were “radicalised”.
“We have a problem in Australia with antisemitism. We have a problem in Australia with Islamophobia … if someone argued that antisemitism was rational, I would not let them come here on a speaking tour. And if someone has the same view of Islamophobia, I don’t want them here when the purpose of the visa is to give public speeches,” said Burke.
Fuld was set to speak in Sydney and Melbourne in a fundraising effort for Magen David Adom, an Israeli emergency health service. He posted to Instagram on Thursday morning (AEST), saying “I was upset when they revoked my visa but I got over it. But having something in common with Kanye? That I can’t get over! Insanity.”
Both Tyler, The Creator and Snoop Dogg have had their visas revoked by the federal government.
In 2015, rapper Tyler, The Creator’s visa was cancelled by then-immigration minister Peter Dutton after a campaign targeted the musicians lyrics that spoke to rape and violence. Rapper Snoop Dogg’s visa was cancelled in 2007 based on his criminal record.
What is Kanye’s history of antisemitism?
On October 8, 2022 Kanye West tweeted that he would be “going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE”, just days after debuting a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at a fashion show for his label, Yeezy. The phrase “white lives matter” has been associated with violent far-right responses to the Black Lives Matter movement.
While the tweet was deleted and West’s account was suspended, the repercussions were quick. In the following month the rapper lost his extremely lucrative partnership with sportswear brand Adidas, and lost deals with brands Balenciaga, The Gap and Foot Locker. He was also dropped by his agents at mega-firm CAA and several law firms that had represented the rapper.
In December 2022, West sat for an interview with far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones — who two months prior was ordered to pay US$965 million to the families of victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting for spreading the lie that the massacre was a hoax intended to bring about gun reform.
In the interview West said “every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler … I don’t like the word ‘evil’ next to Nazis … I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.”
In 2023, a campaign was launched to bar West from entering Australia following his marriage to Censori. Minister for Education Jason Clare said West’s antisemitic comments were “awful” and preempted a potential visa cancellation.
In February 2025, West paid for a television advertisement during the Superbowl that linked to his website where the rapper was selling a t-shirt emblazoned with a swastika.
When was Kanye last in Australia?
West has not performed in Australia since his Yeezus Tour in 2014. However, there have been rumoured sightings of the rapper in Melbourne since his marriage to Censori, including at a lebanese bakery and a shopping centre.
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