Australian authorities have officially canceled rapper Kanye West’s visa following the release of his highly controversial song titled “Heil Hitler,” which openly promotes Nazi ideology.
The track, released in early May, sparked widespread outrage for its glorification of Adolf Hitler and has been banned on most music streaming platforms. Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke emphasized that the decision reflects a strict zero-tolerance policy against hate speech, regardless of celebrity status.
West, who now goes by Ye, has a history of anti-Semitic remarks, including publicly declaring himself a Nazi and making offensive posts on social media earlier this year. Despite having family ties in Australia—he is married to Australian designer Bianca Censori—and being a longtime visitor, the government reassessed his visa status after the song’s release and concluded that allowing entry would mean importing hatred the country does not tolerate.
Minister Burke stated in an interview that while previous offensive comments had not affected West’s visa, the release of the “Heil Hitler” song crossed a line. The canceled visa was a lower-level visa, not permitting performances, but officials still found the promotion of Nazism unacceptable. When asked about the sustainability of any visa ban, Burke remarked, “We already have enough problems in this country without deliberately importing bigotry”.
