The Australian Government has been accused of effectively blocking a visa for British commentator and YouTuber Carl Benjamin, also known online as Sargon of Akkad.
Benjamin, who planned to visit Australia with his family, has had his visa left in “processing” for weeks — despite his wife’s application being approved within days.
“My visa has been processing for weeks, and is still processing,” Benjamin wrote on X. “I applied for my wife’s visa at the same time, which came within days. They knew when I intended to travel. I rang them the day I was supposed to go. Hard to believe this is anything other than deliberate.”
The move seemingly comes despite the fact that Benjamin has no paid speaking engagements scheduled in Australia.
The apparent delay follows a series of controversial visa decisions by the federal government concerning high-profile commentators. Earlier this month, the High Court upheld the Immigration Minister’s decision to refuse a temporary visa to American political commentator Candace Owens, who had planned a 2024 speaking tour.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke blocked Owens’ entry last year, claiming she had the “capacity to incite discord in almost every direction.” The High Court later ruled that the law enabling such refusals was valid in cases where a person’s presence could “encourage dissension or strife” and pose a risk to the Australian community.
At the same time, the Albanese Government is facing criticism over reports that half a dozen ISIS brides and their children have quietly returned to Australia.
In a statement, the Opposition described the group as “a highly dangerous cohort of individuals who associated themselves with the barbaric Islamic State regime.” The statement added that the situation “raises fundamental questions about how and why they were allowed back in.”
“These are people who willingly travelled to a war zone and aligned themselves with one of the most barbaric terrorist organisations in history,” the Liberal Party said. “Now they appear to have returned secretly, suggesting either the Government knew and concealed it from the public — or worse, that it happened without their knowledge.”
The contrast has not gone unnoticed. While the Government appears to be obstructing the entry of a British commentator with no criminal record or extremist affiliations, it has been accused of quietly facilitating the return of individuals once aligned with a terrorist organisation.
We can’t help but wonder, is it truly about public safety — or political expediency?
