Australia has barred conservative commentator Candace Owens from entering the country ahead of her anticipated speaking tour, citing concerns over her history of divisive remarks.
Australia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Tony Burke, confirmed the decision, stating that Owens’ visa application was rejected based on her inflammatory comments about Jewish, Muslim, and transgender communities.
Burke referenced remarks Owens made about the Holocaust, including comments downplaying the impact of Nazi experiments on concentration camp victims.
He expressed that Owens’ rhetoric could “incite discord in almost every direction,” adding, “Australia’s national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else.”
The rejection of Owens’ visa marks a significant stance by the Australian government against the importation of ideologies deemed harmful to social unity.
The Anti-Defamation Commission, a pro-Jewish advocacy organization, had campaigned to prevent Owens’ entry and applauded the decision.
“This is a victory for truth, for decency, and for the millions of Jewish souls and others whose memory she so shamelessly desecrated,” said Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission.
He asserted that Australia’s decision to bar Owens sends a “resounding message” against trivializing the suffering of Holocaust victims and genocide survivors.
Owens has drawn significant controversy for her comments, particularly those that appear to diminish historical atrocities. In a widely condemned statement from July,
Owens questioned accounts of Nazi medical experiments, calling them “completely absurd” and “bizarre propaganda.” In her social media posts, she has also expressed anti-Zionist views, including criticisms of Israel’s policies and alleged actions, which led to tensions with her former employer, The Daily Wire.
Owens left the right-wing media outlet earlier this year after reported disagreements with editor emeritus Ben Shapiro over issues related to Israel.
LGBTQ+ rights group GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League have flagged Owens’ past statements on social media, describing her rhetoric as transphobic and antisemitic. Owens has also voiced controversial views on Islam, including claims that Muslims “started slavery.”
Her Australian tour, initially scheduled to begin in Melbourne on Nov.17, was set to include stops in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Auckland, New Zealand.
Tickets ranged from $95 for standard seating to $1,500 for VIP access, which offered an exclusive meet-and-greet. Promotional materials on ticketing site Ticketek described Owens as a “fearless” social commentator, touting her “bold and unfiltered perspectives.”
Owens has not yet commented on the ban. However, her entry denial signals a broader international push to curb speech that could be seen as stoking division and hate.
