Current:Home > ContactNew Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens -NextFrontier Capital
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
View
Date:2025-04-19 09:55:07
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand immigration official has overturned a ban on the U.S. conservative political commentator Candace Owens entering the country, citing “the importance of free speech,” a spokesperson for the official said Thursday.
Owens is scheduled to speak at events in several Australian cities and in Auckland, New Zealand, in February and March. But Australia’s Immigration Minister Tony Burke barred her from that country in October, mentioning remarks in which she denied Nazi medical experimentation on Jews in concentration camps during World War II.
The commentator, who has more than 3 million followers on YouTube, is accused by her detractors of promoting conspiracy theoriesand stoking antisemitism, and has ignited firestorms with her remarksopposing Black Lives Matter, feminism, vaccines and immigration.
New Zealand’s immigration agency refused her an entertainer’s work permit in November on the ground that visas legally cannot be granted to those who have been excluded from another country.
Owens appealed the decision to Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk, according to a statement by Penk’s office on Thursday. Penk, who is allowed discretion on visa decisions, granted Owens a visa “after considering representations made to him, including the importance of free speech,” the statement said.
She remains unable to enter Australia, however. Burke told reporters in October that Owens “has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction,” citing her remarks about the Holocaust and about Muslims.
Burke’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
The Sydney-based promoter of the tour, Rocksman, welcomed the New Zealand reversal as “a win for free speech, and for all those who believe in the importance of robust debate and open dialogue.”
The statement quoted Owens as saying that the reversal was “a step toward a world where individuals are allowed to express their views without fear of censorship or government interference.”
Owens had promised Australian and New Zealand audiences a discussion of free speech and her Christian faith when she announced the speaking tour in August. The promoter is still selling tickets in both countries.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
veryGood! (422)
Related
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- See Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Gary Tell Daisy About His Hookup With Mads in Awkward AF Preview
- Thor Actor Ray Stevenson Dead at 58
- How 90 Big Companies Helped Fuel Climate Change: Study Breaks It Down
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Australia Cuts Outlook for Great Barrier Reef to ‘Very Poor’ for First Time, Citing Climate Change
- Apple AirTags can track your keys, wallet and luggage—save 10% today
- Knoxville has only one Black-owned radio station. The FCC is threatening its license.
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Report: Bills' Nyheim Hines out for season with knee injury suffered on jet ski
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Fuzzy Math: How Do You Calculate Emissions From a Storage Tank When The Numbers Don’t Add Up?
- ESPN's College Gameday will open 2023 college football season at battle of Carolinas
- Generic abortion pill manufacturer sues FDA in effort to preserve access
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Energy Forecast Sees Global Emissions Growing, Thwarting Paris Climate Accord
- Baltimore Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. opens up on future plans, recovery from ACL injury
- Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix Ready to Dip Out of Her and Tom Sandoval's $2 Million Home
Recommendation
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Report: Bills' Nyheim Hines out for season with knee injury suffered on jet ski
A woman almost lost thousands to scammers after her email was hacked. How can you protect yourself?
Lions hopeful C.J. Gardner-Johnson avoided serious knee injury during training camp
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Jamil was struggling after his daughter had a stroke. Then a doctor pulled up a chair
Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $360 Tote Bag for Just $76
James Ray III, lawyer convicted of murdering girlfriend, dies while awaiting sentencing