Australia has officially cancelled the visa of American rapper Kanye West, who legally changed his name to Ye, citing his controversial song 'Heil Hitler' as the primary reason. The decision was announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, after officials re-evaluated West's status following the song's release. The 48-year-old musician, whose wife Bianca Censori is Australian and who has family in the country, had been visiting Australia for some time on a lower-level visa, not intended for holding concerts.

The song 'Heil Hitler' was released on May 8, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The track glorifies Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, includes a direct sample from a 1935 speech by Hitler, and features dozens of Black men chanting the song's title while West raps about personal issues. This song has since been banned in Germany and removed from major online platforms including Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music due to its antisemitic lyrics.

Minister Burke firmly stated that the cancellation was a stand against 'importing hatred' and promoting Nazism. He emphasized that while Australian citizens possess freedom of speech, the nation has 'enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry.' The minister affirmed that immigration officials rigorously reassess each visa application, making an exception for West's general visa due to the offensive nature of his new music.

The controversy surrounding Ye's pro-Nazi sentiments is not limited to Australia. Last week, in Slovakia, over 3,000 people signed a petition opposing his planned concert in July. The petition, supported by two local groups, condemned West's performance as an 'insult to historic memory, a glorification of wartime violence and debasement of all victims of the Nazi regime,' citing his repeated and open adherence to symbols and ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history.

Ye has a documented history of antisemitic remarks and actions. In 2022, his X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts were suspended for antisemitic posts. Later that year, he publicly stated, 'I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis… I do love Hitler.' Following his marriage to Bianca Censori in 2023, the Australian Jewish Association had already called for him to be denied entry into the country. In February 2025, his X account was again suspended after he defended a series of antisemitic posts as a 'social experiment,' one of which declared, 'I AM A NAZI.' During the last Super Bowl, West even paid for an advertisement directing people to his clothing brand's website, where he was selling t-shirts emblazoned with the swastika, the symbol of the Nazi Party, for $20.

In addition to these controversies, West has also publicly endorsed fellow rapper and music mogul Sean Combs, who is currently facing trial in New York for alleged sex trafficking and racketeering charges, with the jury still considering its verdict.