SYDNEY—American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, may not be suitable for an Australian visa because of his history of anti-Semitic remarks, a government minister said on Wednesday, as pressure mounted to deny the award-winning rapper entry.
Minister for Education Jason Clare condemned Ye’s “awful” anti-Semitic comments involving Hitler and the Holocaust, saying others who had made similar statements had been denied visas.
“People like that who’ve applied for visas to get into Australia in the past have been rejected,” Clare said in an interview on Channel Nine. “I expect that if he does apply he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions that they did.”
A spokesperson for Ye did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Local media reported that Ye would visit to Australia to meet the family of his partner, Bianca Censori, who grew up in Melbourne.
Ye has been dropped by major corporate partners, including Adidas, and banned from Twitter because of anti-Semitic remarks and outbursts on social media against other celebrities.
