The United Kingdom has denied Kanye West entry to the country. The rapper, legally known as Ye, made an application to travel to the UK via an Electronic Travel Authorisation on Monday, and the country’s Home Office denied it “on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.” The announcement follows weeks of debate around his booking at Wireless Festival, which has now been cancelled.
In a press statement, the festival’s organizers said:
The Home Office has withdrawn YE’s ETA, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless Festival is cancelled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders. As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time.
Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had. As YE said today, he acknowledges that words alone are not enough, and in spite of this still hopes to be given the opportunity to begin a conversation with the Jewish community in the UK.
After taking out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal to apologize for Nazism and antisemitism in January, Ye released his album BULLY last month. In a new update to his letter, he wrote, “I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through music. I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren’t enough – I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”
