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- The saga of Milo Yiannopoulos trying to gain entry into Australia appears to finally be over.
- The far-right personality has officially been banned from entering Australia following comments he made about Islam in the wake of Friday’s mass shooting in New Zealand which left at least 49 people dead.
- In a statement, Immigration Minister David Coleman called Yiannopoulos’ comments "appalling" and said they "foment hatred and division."
The saga of Milo Yiannopoulos trying to gain entry into Australia appears to finally be over.
The far-right personality has officially been banned from entering Australia following comments he made about Islam in the wake of Friday’s mass shooting in New Zealand which left at least 49 people dead.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand history and one of the worst in the world.
28-year old Australian Brenton Tarrant was named in court on Saturday and was charged with murder. The shooter allegedly held far-right views and posted a racist manifesto online before the massacre.
Immigration Minister David Coleman released a statement on Saturday confirming that Yiannopoulos is no longer welcome in the country.
"Milo Yiannopoulos will not be allowed to enter Australia for his proposed tour this year."
"Yiannopoulos’ comments on social media regarding the Christchurch terror attack are appalling and foment hatred and division."
"The terrorist attack in Christchurch was carried out on Muslims peacefully practicing their religion. It was an act of pure evil.
"Australia stands with New Zealand and with Muslim communities the world over in condemning this inhuman act."
Following the shootings, Yiannopoulos took to social media to attack Islam and did not condemn the shooter who espoused racist views in a manifesto posted online.
"Attacks like this happen because the establishment panders to and mollycoddles extremist Leftism and barbaric, alien religious cultures. Not when someone dares to point it out," he said in a Facebook post.
The Department of Home Affairs rejected the former Breitbart editor’s visa application earlier this month and barred him from entering the country on the basis of his character. However, the government agreed last week to approve the visa after conservative MPs put pressure on Coleman to override the ruling.
The Department of Home Affairs had listed reasons to ban the provocateur, including violence sparked during protests of his 2017 tour and an $AU50,000 bill by the Victorian government for extra security and damages caused by the incident.
He has also been called out for making controversial statements about members of the Islamic, LGBT, African American, and Indigenous Australian communities. He has also been accused of anti-Semitism.
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Rosie Perper)