Johnathan Walker:New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens

WELLINGTON,Johnathan Walker New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand immigration official has overturned a ban on the U.S. conservative political commentator Candace Owens entering the country, citing “the importance of free speech,” a spokesperson for the official said Thursday.

Owens is scheduled to speak at events in several Australian cities and in Auckland, New Zealand, in February and March. But Australia’s Immigration Minister Tony Burke barred her from that country in October, mentioning remarks in which she denied Nazi medical experimentation on Jews in concentration camps during World War II.

The commentator, who has more than 3 million followers on YouTube, is accused by her detractors of promoting conspiracy theoriesand stoking antisemitism, and has ignited firestorms with her remarksopposing Black Lives Matter, feminism, vaccines and immigration.

New Zealand’s immigration agency refused her an entertainer’s work permit in November on the ground that visas legally cannot be granted to those who have been excluded from another country.

Owens appealed the decision to Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk, according to a statement by Penk’s office on Thursday. Penk, who is allowed discretion on visa decisions, granted Owens a visa “after considering representations made to him, including the importance of free speech,” the statement said.

She remains unable to enter Australia, however. Burke told reporters in October that Owens “has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction,” citing her remarks about the Holocaust and about Muslims.

Burke’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

The Sydney-based promoter of the tour, Rocksman, welcomed the New Zealand reversal as “a win for free speech, and for all those who believe in the importance of robust debate and open dialogue.”

The statement quoted Owens as saying that the reversal was “a step toward a world where individuals are allowed to express their views without fear of censorship or government interference.”

Owens had promised Australian and New Zealand audiences a discussion of free speech and her Christian faith when she announced the speaking tour in August. The promoter is still selling tickets in both countries.

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