Candace Owens, the prominent US conservative commentator, has been denied a visa to enter New Zealand, The Associated Press reports, citing immigration officials.
The decision follows a similar rejection from Australia, leaving Owens unable to fulfill a speaking tour scheduled for February and March.
New Zealand Immigration officials said that Owens’ visa application was rejected because she had been previously banned from another country – a legal ground for denial. While the statement did not explicitly reference Owens’ controversial views, the decision comes weeks after Australia barred her entry, citing her remarks denying Nazi medical experimentation on Jews during the Holocaust.
Owens, who boasts over 3 million YouTube subscribers, is a controversial figure known for her outspoken views opposing Black Lives Matter, feminism, vaccines, and immigration. She has also been accused of promoting conspiracy theories and antisemitism. Her recent comments minimizing the Holocaust sparked condemnation, leading to her departure from the Daily Wire earlier this year following disagreements over her statements regarding Jews and Israel.
Despite the visa denials, tickets for Owens’ speaking tour in Australia and New Zealand remain on sale, with no mention on the promoter’s website, Rocksman, of the entry bans. The tour, announced in August, promised discussions on free speech and Owens’ Christian faith.
Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke justified the Australian ban in October, stating that Owens “has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction,” referencing her controversial comments about the Holocaust and Muslims. Australian Jewish groups had actively campaigned for her exclusion.
