Immigration New Zealand is assessing a visa application from controversial right-wing broadcaster Candace Owens. Photo: AFP/ Getty Images - Jason Davies
- Controversial right-wing broadcaster Candace Owens has applied for a visa to visit New Zealand for a speaking engagement next month.
- Owens has more than 18 million followers on social media and a history of making controversial claims, including doubting the holocaust was real.
- Her entry to Australia was recently blocked, with the country's immigration minister saying her narrative had "the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction."
A controversial right-wing US broadcaster, whose entry to Australia was recently blocked, has applied for a New Zealand visa.
Candace Owens has more than 18 million followers on social media and a history of making controversial claims, including doubting the Holocaust was real. She has also been accused of being anti-Semitic and homophobic.
Owens is booked to give a speech in Auckland in November, and had also scheduled speeches in several Australian cities after her Auckland appearance.
However, the Sydney Morning Herald this weekend reported her Australian visa had been cancelled, with the country's Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke saying her narrative had "the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction."
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) on Sunday confirmed Owens had applied for an entertainers work visa to enter New Zealand.
INZ deputy chief operating officer Jeannie Melville said Owens' application was being assessed.
"All visa applicants must meet specific requirements, including a good character assessment, that considers factors such as criminal convictions, deportation history, and potential risks to New Zealand's security, public order, or public interest," Melville said.
"There is no provision in the Immigration Act to prevent a person travelling to New Zealand based solely on their previous expression of opinion and ideas.
"Immigration decision-makers have to weigh up all the factors and assess whether an individual presents a threat or risk to security, public order or the public interest and can be deemed an excluded person."
The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand has urged Immigration New Zealand to "carefully consider" granting a visa to Owens.
Chairperson Deborah Hart said Owens had some "wacky" ideas, including that there had been no moon landing and that Jews orchestrated the assassination of JFK.
"She distorts the Holocaust, including questioning medical experimentation in death camps," Hart said.
"Holocaust denial and distortion is intrinsically anti-Semitic. It denies Jewish history and Jewish suffering."
Asked recently on The Platform about claims she was anti-Semitic, Owens said she was "absolutely not" an anti-Semite, and had worked for a pro-Zionist Jewish organisation for more than two years.
People should not be allowed to use the idea of anti-Semitism to shield their bad behaviour, she said.
In a post about her speaking tour to New Zealand and Australia, she said the aim was "to discuss everything that they don't want us speaking about ‒ freedom of speech, why the elites want to launch deathly wasteful wars, and of course why Christ really is king".
Hart said allowing Owens to speak could create a harmful environment for vulnerable groups, including the Jewish, Muslim and rainbow communities.
INZ "should carefully consider whether our existing laws should be utilised to stop Candace Owens from coming here", she said.
* This story originally appeared on Stuff.