Govt says Chris Brown ‘unsuitable’ to enter Australia

The US singer Chris Brown has been told he will not be given a visa to perform in Australia, because of his record of domestic violence.

The singer is scheduled to go on tour in Australia in December, and tickets are due to go on sale on Monday. He now has 28 days to appeal.

In 2009 Chris Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna. He has toured Australia twice since then, but the government had come under pressure to refuse him entry this time.

Australia’s immigration department has issued a “notice of intention to consider refusal,” Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said.

A final decision on whether to grant a visa will be made after the 28-day appeal period has expired.,

Minister for Women Michaelia Cash, who was until recently immigration minister, had urged Mr Dutton to take a stand on the issue.

Read also: Chris Brown confined to Philippines

“People need to understand, if you are going to commit domestic violence and you want to travel around the world, there are going to be countries that say to you, ‘You cannot come in because you are not of the character that we expect in Australia'”, Senator Cash said.

The decision about Brown’s visa follows the government’s decision earlier this year to refuse a visa for world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather on similar grounds.

Mayweather had been booked for dinner and nightclub appearances in Sydney and Melbourne in January.

New Zealand has already ruled that Brown is unsuitable for entry into the country.

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