In one of the more bizarre headlines of the week, Kanye West, 48, now legally known as Ye, has been banned from entering Australia following a series of anti-Semitic acts, including the release of his controversial track Heil Hitler. The song, which was independently released in May, has since been removed from major platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube, and has triggered widespread backlash for its references to Adolf Hitler and overt anti-Semitic undertones.
Now, the Australian government has taken a decisive step. Tony Burke, the country’s home affairs minister, confirmed in a televised interview with ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that West’s visa had been revoked under special provisions typically used to bar individuals intending to conduct public speaking tours. “Most of the visas that have been cancelled under this section have been where someone was seeking to make a public speech,” Burke explained. “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.”
The minister further stated that West had previously been visiting Australia regularly, noting that his wife, Bianca Censori, is from Melbourne and that he still has family ties in the country.
However, the situation changed after the release of Heil Hitler. “He’s made a lot of offensive comments that my officials looked at again once he released the Heil Hitler song, and he no longer has a valid visa in Australia,” said Burke.
The decision comes in the wake of another visa cancellation, that of an Israeli-American tech advocate who had publicly stated that “Islamophobia is rational.” When asked if such bans are sustainable especially in light of global tours by controversial figures, Burke was clear: “I think that what’s not sustainable is to import hatred.”
Netizens react
Longtime fans of the artist and critics alike had a lot to say. “He actually dropped a song called that omg?😭😭😭,” asked one netizen on X. Another claimed, “Australia is the only Western country I’ve seen stand on business about letting bigotry into their country!” One more comment said, “Notice how no one even knew he released a song called that because no one is checking for Kanye in the big 2025.” Another read, “Australia ate that, they need to do this in EVERY country!”
Ye has faced mounting criticism in recent years for making inflammatory, antisemitic remarks, including publicly praising Hitler and denying the Holocaust — remarks that led to widespread condemnation and the loss of several brand partnerships. Whether the rapper will address the ban publicly remains to be seen. But for now, Australia has made its position clear: hate has no visa.
