Conservative US influencer Candace Owens is barred from New Zealand weeks after a ban from Australia

American conservative political commentator Candace Owens was denied a visa by New Zealand immigration officials, preventing her from proceeding with her planned speaking engagements, due to a prior ban from another country. This decision follows a similar rejection of her visa application by Australia a few weeks earlier.

Australia's refusal of Owens' visa stemmed from her past remarks denying that Nazis conducted medical experiments on Jews in concentration camps during World War II. Owens had planned a series of speaking events in various Australian cities and Auckland, New Zealand, in February and March of next year. Currently, tickets are still being sold, and the organizers' website makes no mention of her being denied entry to either country.

Owens has over 3 million followers on YouTube, but her critics accuse her of promoting conspiracy theories and antisemitism. She has also sparked controversy for her opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement, feminism, vaccines, and immigration. In March of this year, she parted ways with the founder of The Daily Wire following a conflict over her remarks about Jewish people and her opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel.

In July, Owens faced widespread criticism for downplaying the Holocaust in a YouTube video. When announcing her speaking tour in August, she promised audiences in Australia and New Zealand that she would discuss free speech and her Christian faith. However, Australian officials banned her from entering the country in October, with Immigration Minister Tony Burke stating that Owens was "pretty much capable of stirring up disharmony in every direction," citing her remarks about the Holocaust and Muslims.

Burke stated, "It's in Australia's national interest that Candace Owens be somewhere else." Australian Jewish groups had urged officials to ban her entry. New Zealand officials did not mention Owens' political views in their statement on Thursday. Immigration spokesperson Jo-Chee Gilray said that Owens was denied a New Zealand work visa for performers because the law stipulates that individuals who have been deported from another country are ineligible for a visa. Neither Owens nor her Australian promoter, Rocksman, have immediately responded to requests for comment.