Australian authorities have cancelled the visa of a British national living in Queensland and placed him in immigration detention after police accused him of promoting Nazi ideology and calling for violence against the Jewish community online.
The 43 year old man was arrested earlier this month and charged with multiple offences linked to the public display of banned Nazi symbols. Officials said the case highlights Australia’s tougher stance on hate crimes amid a reported rise in antisemitism and far right extremism.
Police said the man was taken into immigration detention in Brisbane this week after the Department of Home Affairs moved to revoke his visa. He is due to appear in court in January and may be deported to the United Kingdom unless legal proceedings delay his removal.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government would not tolerate visitors who promote hatred or violence.
“He came here to hate. He does not get to stay,” Burke told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday. “If you come to Australia on a visa, you are here as a guest.”
Under Australian law, non citizens whose visas are cancelled can appeal the decision. Officials said the man may choose to leave voluntarily or remain in detention while authorities consider deportation.
According to police statements, investigators began examining the man’s online activity in October after posts appeared on X showing Nazi swastikas and messages endorsing extremist ideology. Authorities allege he also made comments encouraging violence toward Jewish people.
Police said the platform later blocked the account, after which the man allegedly created a new profile with a similar name and continued posting offensive material. Officers executed a search warrant at his home in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, in late November.
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During the search, police seized mobile phones, weapons and several swords bearing swastika symbols, according to court documents. The man was charged with three counts of displaying prohibited Nazi symbols and one count of using the internet to cause offense.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said the crackdown was aimed at protecting community harmony.
“We want to ensure these symbols are not being used to fracture social cohesion,” Nutt said earlier this month. “When we identify this behaviour, we act quickly to disrupt it, prosecute those involved and protect the dignity and safety of our diverse community.”
The case follows recent changes to Australian law that introduced mandatory jail terms for displaying hate symbols or performing a Nazi salute. The reforms were passed earlier this year after a series of extremist incidents across the country.
Last month, Burke also revoked the visa of Matthew Gruter, a South African national who had lived in Australia since 2022, after he was seen attending a neo Nazi rally outside the New South Wales parliament.
Like Gruter, the British man retains the right to challenge the visa cancellation. Police are now assessing whether his deportation should be delayed so he can face court proceedings scheduled for next month.
