Quick Answer
On 5 April 2026, the Australian Department of Home Affairs cancelled the visa of Bangladeshi Islamic scholar Shaykh Ahmadullah while he was departing Sydney, preventing his re-entry to Australia. The cancellation followed public criticism of past remarks attributed to him about Jewish people, which the government described as antisemitic. Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed the decision and said Australia has “zero tolerance” for antisemitism or Islamophobia. At the time of writing, no independent news source has confirmed the outcome of Home Affairs’ review into a permanent ban, nor any formal review or judicial challenge lodged on Ahmadullah’s behalf — this article will be updated if that changes.
A visa cancellation like this one raises a question many visa holders and applicants ask us directly: can the government really do that, and what recourse actually exists? This article summarises what has been publicly reported about the Ahmadullah case, sourced from multiple outlets, and explains — separately from the specifics of this case — how Australian visa cancellation and review law actually works.
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What Happened: Timeline
- Background: Shaykh Ahmadullah, Chairman of the As-Sunnah Foundation (Dhaka), travelled to Australia for the “A Legacy of Faith” speaking tour, marking the 25th anniversary of the Islamic Practice and Dawah Circle (IPDC), with events planned in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, and Perth between 6–11 April 2026.
- 5 April 2026: Home Affairs cancelled his visa as he was departing Sydney Airport, preventing him from re-entering the country for the remainder of the tour.
- Reason reported: The cancellation followed scrutiny of past remarks attributed to Ahmadullah, including a video cited by The Daily Telegraph in which he reportedly described Jewish people as “hateful” and referenced a “Jewish conspiracy,” language multiple outlets characterised as antisemitic.
- Government response: Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed the cancellation, stating the government maintains “zero tolerance” for those who “propagate antisemitic or Islamophobic sentiments,” and drew a parallel to the earlier, similar case of Bangladeshi speaker Mizanur Rahman Azhari, who was deported from Australia over comparable concerns.
- Tour impact: The remaining legs of the tour in Canberra, Adelaide, and Perth were cancelled as a result.
- Outstanding question: As of the most recent reporting available, Home Affairs was reviewing whether to impose a permanent ban, with a decision reportedly expected “early the following week” — but no source consulted for this article confirms that outcome. We have not found any report of a merits review application, judicial review proceeding, or other formal legal challenge filed on Ahmadullah’s behalf.
Why This Case Matters Beyond One Individual
Whatever view one takes of the underlying remarks, the Ahmadullah case is a useful, real-world illustration of a power the Australian government uses more often than many visa holders realise: cancelling or refusing a visa based on a person’s public statements or conduct, assessed against the “national interest” or character grounds — separate from, and often much faster than, the standard visa-refusal process most applicants encounter.
This is not an isolated pattern in 2026: reporting around the same period also covered Australia cancelling the visa of an Israeli influencer accused of “spreading hatred,” and broader visa restrictions tied to the conflict in the Middle East. Together, these cases show the government has been actively using its cancellation powers around public commentary on this conflict, from more than one direction.
The Migration Law Explainer: What Actually Happens After a Cancellation Like This?
This section explains the general legal framework — it is not a claim about what has or will happen in Ahmadullah’s specific case, since that has not been publicly confirmed.
Which power is likely being used?
Cancellations tied to a person’s public conduct or statements, rather than a paperwork or eligibility issue, are typically exercised under the Minister’s broader cancellation powers in the Migration Act — including personal, non-delegable powers the Minister can use where they consider it in the national interest. This is distinct from the more commonly discussed section 501 “character test,” though the two can overlap where the conduct in question relates to matters like inciting discord.
Is there a right of appeal to the ART?
This is the single most important — and most misunderstood — part of Australian cancellation law. Most visa refusals and cancellations can be reviewed on their merits by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). But when the Minister personally makes the cancellation decision (rather than a delegate/case officer), that decision is generally not reviewable by the ART at all. In that situation, the only avenue is judicial review in the Federal Court — which does not re-decide whether the visa should be cancelled, but only checks whether the decision-making process was legally sound (for example, whether the Minister followed proper procedure or considered irrelevant matters).
What does judicial review actually test?
Judicial review is narrower than most people expect. A court will not substitute its own view of whether the remarks were serious enough to justify cancellation — it only asks whether the Minister made a jurisdictional error (acted outside their legal power, ignored a mandatory consideration, or breached procedural fairness). This is why cases like this are genuinely difficult to overturn once a Minister has personally intervened, even where the underlying facts are contested.
For a deeper look at how character-based cancellations and reviews generally work, see our guides on the Administrative Review Tribunal appeal process and the section 501 character test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Shaykh Ahmadullah’s visa cancelled?
According to multiple news reports, Home Affairs cancelled his visa following scrutiny of past remarks attributed to him about Jewish people, which the government described as antisemitic. Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed the cancellation publicly.
Has Shaykh Ahmadullah appealed the decision?
No independently confirmed report of a formal appeal, review application, or judicial challenge was available at the time of writing. This article will be updated if reliable reporting confirms one.
Can a visa cancellation like this be appealed to the ART?
It depends entirely on who made the decision. If a case officer or delegate made it, ART merits review is usually available. If the Minister made the decision personally — which is common in high-profile national-interest cancellations — ART review is generally not available, and the only option is judicial review in the Federal Court, which is a narrower, procedural check rather than a full merits reconsideration.
Is this the first time Australia has cancelled a visa over public remarks?
No. The same reporting period covered a comparable case involving Bangladeshi speaker Mizanur Rahman Azhari, and separately, the cancellation of an Israeli influencer’s visa over allegations of “spreading hatred” — suggesting this is an active area of enforcement, not a one-off decision.
Sources
- The Business Standard — “Australia cancels Shaykh Ahmadullah’s visa, speaking tour scrapped”
- Dhaka Tribune — “Visa of Shaykh Ahmadullah cancelled by Australia amid controversy”
- The Asian Age (Bangladesh) — “Australia cancels visa of Islamic speaker Ahmadullah amid controversy”
- Daily Sun — “Australia cancels Shaykh Ahmadullah’s visa”
- The Daily Star — related coverage of the Mizanur Rahman Azhari deportation
- Al Jazeera — “Australia cancels visa of Israeli influencer accused of ‘spreading hatred'”
This article reports on publicly available news coverage as summarised above and is for general information only — it does not represent Magpie Consultants’ independent verification of the underlying facts, nor legal advice on this specific matter. The migration law explainer section describes general principles of Australian visa cancellation and review law, not a prediction of this case’s outcome. For advice on your own visa situation, consult a MARA-registered agent.
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Umar Ashraf
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Umar Ashraf is a MARA-registered migration agent specialising in complex cases, visa cancellations, ART tribunal appeals, and employer sponsorship. He provides consultations in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi.
