Australia Revokes Kanye West's Visa Over ‘Heil Hitler’ Song Praising Hitler

Australia has canceled the visa of American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, due to his release of the song “Heil Hitler,” which Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke condemned for promoting Nazism. The track, released on May 8, 2025, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat, included lyrics praising Adolf Hitler and a sample from a 1935 Nazi speech, sparking global outrage. The song was banned from major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube for violating hate speech policies but amassed over 10 million views on X. Burke, speaking on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, explained, “He’s been coming to Australia for a long time. He’s got family here. And 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.” He emphasized, “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.”

Burke added, “We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry,” highlighting Australia’s strict stance under the Migration Act’s character requirements. Ye, married to Australian architect Bianca Censori, whose family resides in Melbourne, had visited frequently before the cancellation. The decision follows Australia’s recent visa denials to pro-Israel influencer Hillel Fuld and U.S. commentator Candace Owens in October 2024 for inflammatory rhetoric. The Australian Jewish Association, led by David Adler, praised the move, stating, “He has become a lightning rod for extremists, for anti-Semites, for neo-Nazis.” Burke clarified that while the ban isn’t permanent, future visa applications will be reassessed, noting, “What’s not sustainable is to import hatred.” Ye’s team did not respond to inquiries, and his whereabouts, last reported in Japan, remain unclear.