Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has had has Australian visa canceled, says the country’s head of immigration.
According to Reuters, the country’s Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Tony Burke revealed Wednesday (July 2) that his office has taken the step following the release of antisemitic song “Heil Hitler” in May. Adding to a pattern of hate speech Ye has spewed over the years, the track featured lyrics about how the Yeezy founder “became a Nazi” and featured a recording of Adolf Hitler speaking.
“He’s made a lot of offensive comments that my officials looked at again once he released [that] song,” Burke told ABC. “He’s got family here … It wasn’t a visa for the purpose of concerts. It was a lower-level [visa] 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.’”
The minister added, “We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry.”
Billboard has reached out to Ye’s rep for comment.
The news comes more than two years after the musician wed Bianca Censori, who is from Australia. Shortly after reports of their nuptials emerged, the country’s Anti Defamation Commission called on officials to bar Ye from entering the country.
“Calling for violence and hate must have consequences, and Australia should not put out the welcome mat and provide a platform to a hatemonger who spews threats against the Jewish community and peddles conspiracy myths about Jewish power, greed and control,” said Dr. Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, in a statement to Billboard at the time. “At a time of rising antisemitism in Australia and increasing vilification, his presence in the country, revolting anti-Jewish propaganda and incitement, and abhorrent rhetoric poses a significant risk to the Jewish community.”
The visa cancelation is just the latest consequence Ye has faced as a result of his antisemitic remarks, much of which he has shared in deeply offensive posts on X since late 2022. The Grammy winner has lost most of his major brand partnerships, and in May, he claimed that “Heil Hitler” had been banned from streaming services.
Later that month, however, Ye suggested that he had experienced a change of heart. “I am done with antisemitism,” he wrote on X. “I love all people. God forgive me for the pain I’ve caused. I forgive those who have caused me pain. Thank you God.”
