After purposefully disobeying COVID-19 protocols while in hotel quarantine in Sydney, Australia has revoked British broadcaster Katie Hopkins’ passport.
Karen Andrews, the Minister of Home Affairs, stated on Monday.
Hopkins was brought to Australia to appear on Network Seven’s reality show “Big Brother VIP,” and her visa was obtained on the basis of financial gain.
She was kicked from the show after boasting about breaking hotel quarantine regulations in an Instagram video, according to Australian news agency AAP.
“Seven Network and Endemol Shine Australia confirmed that Katie Hopkins is not part of Big Brother VIP.
“Seven and Endemol Shine strongly condemn her irresponsible and reckless comments in hotel quarantine,’’ a statement cited by local media said.
According to local media, she informed her followers in the since-deleted video that she was trying to open her door to guards naked and without a mask to call out Australia’s quarantine system and lockdowns, which she dubbed “the greatest farce in human history.”
“As soon as we can possibly have her out of the country she will be gone,’’ Andrews told radio programme RN Breakfast.
“The fact that she was out there boasting about breaching quarantine was just appalling,’’ Andrews said.
“It was a slap in the face for all those Australians who are currently in lockdown, and its just unacceptable behaviour.’’
Hopkins’ visa had been revoked, according to the minister, who added, “I don’t know when she’ll be going, but she’ll be on my radar to make sure she goes as soon as we can get her out of the country.”
Andrews appeared to blame the state of New South Wales (NSW) for Hopkins’ arrival in Australia, despite the fact that the Federal Government was ultimately to fault.
Film and television production firms routinely submitted visa applications, according to New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard, as long as arriving passengers arrived safely.
It paid for their quarantine but did not take the place of returning Australians, whose requests were typically accepted.
The presence of the analyst in Australia triggered a massive outcry in the country.
Following a spike in Coronavirus cases that resulted in lockdowns in Sydney and Melboune, the cap on the number of Australian citizens and residents allowed to return from abroad was recently lowered.
With rare exceptions, Australia’s borders have been blocked since March 2020 owing to the coronavirus epidemic.
In July 2020, a limit on overseas entries was imposed for the first time.
Thousands of Australians are still waiting to return home, since the cap is currently set at slightly over 3,000 individuals per week.
Hopkins has a reputation in the United Kingdom for courting controversy.
In 2020, she was permanently barred from Twitter for violating the platform’s hateful conduct policy.
Hopkins has described migrants as cockroaches, labeled Islam repugnant and called for a final solution in response to a terror attack.