Australia has barred American commentator Candace Owens from entering the country, citing remarks in which she downplayed the horrors of the Holocaust and questioned the reality of Nazi medical experiments. The decision was confirmed by Immigration Minister Tony Burke, who emphasized that Owens’ comments on notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele and other contentious statements were incompatible with Australian values.

“Australia’s national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else,” Burke said in a statement to the media. Burke noted that Owens’ presence in Australia would only fuel division, pointing to her recent podcast remarks in which she described accounts of Mengele’s experiments on twins as “bizarre propaganda.” Local leaders began urging for a visa denial as her comments circulated widely over the summer.

Owens’ tour, originally set to commence in New Zealand on November 14 before moving to major Australian cities, has been met with considerable backlash. Tickets were priced at approximately $100, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, and the ban has left her event organizers facing logistical challenges. “I hope she has a good refunds policy,” Burke quipped.

The Anti-Defamation Commission’s chairman, Dvir Abramovich, expressed relief over the ban, stating, “Australia has no place for those who mock the suffering of genocide survivors and insult the memories of the 6 million Jews who perished.” He added that Owens’ statements demonstrated “a lack of sensitivity and respect” toward Holocaust survivors.

In response to the visa refusal, Owens spoke on Sydney’s 2GB radio, remarking that it was “incredible to think people could be so fearful of just speech and conversation.” She contended that hearing different perspectives was not harmful, and expressed surprise at Australia’s reaction, calling the visa denial an example of stifling free dialogue.