After a shock ban on Kanye West in the UK, his fans were concerned about whether his next stop in the Netherlands might face a similar fate.
However, the fears came to an end when Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said there is, so far, no indication of a ban on the Chicago rapper performing in the country on June 6 and June 8.
“Once I have such information, I will proceed accordingly. Based on what is currently known to me, I have no indication that an entry ban can be applied in this case,” he said in a statement to AFP.
Though there is fear among Ye’s fanbase that the situation may change in the near future, there has been pressure on the Dutch government to bar Ye from entering the country.
Jewish advocacy group Centraal Joods Overleg, in a statement to the Dutch justice minister, urged the minister to follow Britain’s step in blocking West’s shows in Arnhem.
“The UK and Australia have drawn a line. We are asking the GelreDome and the Dutch government to apply the same standards,” Chanan Hertzberger, the organization’s head, said.
Earlier, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to slam the Wireless Festival for inviting Ye and explain why his government barred the Grammy winner from entering the country.
“Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless,” Starmer noted, while doubling down on his government stance to firmly protect the British Jewish community.
“This government stands firmly with the Jewish community,” he penned, adding this as a warning to those who spread the scourge of antisemitism.
“We will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism.”
The fiery statement further adds that necessary action will be taken to protect the public good.
“We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values,” Starmer wrote.
