Australia to deport British man charged with displaying Nazi symbols

A British national in Australia has had his visa cancelled and faces deportation for allegedly displaying Nazi symbols.

The 43-year-old man living in Queensland was arrested and charged earlier this month, after allegedly using a social media account to post the Nazi swastika, promote pro-Nazi ideology and call for violence towards the Jewish community.

The man was taken into immigration detention this week in Brisbane and is due to face court in January. Police have been cracking down on the use of prohibited symbols amid a recent rise in antisemitism and right-wing extremism.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said: “He came here to hate – he doesn’t get to stay.”

“If you come to Australia on a visa, you are here as a guest,” Burke told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday.

Last month, Burke also revoked the visa of Matthew Gruter, a South African national who had been living in Australia since 2022, after he was seen attending a neo-Nazi rally in front of the New South Wales parliament.

Like Gruter, the British man can appeal his visa being revoked. He can leave Australia voluntarily or wait to be deported to his home country.

It is understood police are assessing whether to delay deporting the man so he can face court next month.

Earlier this year, Australia tightened its hate crime laws, introducing mandatory jail terms for displaying hate symbols or performing a Nazi salute.

Police began investigating the British man in October over alleged posts on X. The social media platform blocked his account, prompting him to create a new one with a similar name where he continued posting offensive and harmful content, police said.

Authorities searched the man’s home in Caboolture, on the outskirts of Brisbane, in late November and seized phones, weapons and several swords with swastika symbols.

He was charged with three counts of displaying banned Nazi symbols and one count of using the internet to cause offense.

“We want to ensure these symbols are not being used to fracture social cohesion,” Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said earlier this month.

“If we identify instances where this is happening, we will act swiftly to disrupt the behaviour, prosecute those involved and protect the dignity, safety and cohesion of our diverse community.”