Wellington, New Zealand (AP) – The United States conservative political commentator Candace Owens has been refused a visa to enter New Zealand for a speaking engagement as she had been banned from another country, immigration officials announced on Thursday. This comes after neighboring Australia also rejected her visa request a few weeks ago, citing her statements that denied Nazi medical experimentation on Jews in concentration camps during World War II.
Owens, who has over 3 million followers on YouTube, is known for promoting conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism, and has sparked controversy with her comments opposing Black Lives Matter, feminism, vaccines, and immigration. In March, she parted ways with the Daily Wire, where she had hosted an online talk show, after clashing with its founders over her remarks about Jews and her opposition to US military support for Israel. In July, she faced criticism for a YouTube video that minimized the Holocaust.
Owens had promised Australian and New Zealand audiences a discussion of free speech and her Christian faith when she announced her speaking tour in August. However, Australian officials banned her from the country in October, with Immigration Minister Tony Burke stating that Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction. Australian Jewish groups had urged officials to deny her entry.
New Zealand officials, on the other hand, did not reference Owens’ political views in their statement, instead citing the grounds that visas cannot be granted to those who have been excluded from another country. Owens and the Australia-based promoter, Rocksman, have not commented on the matter.