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Australia Bars Steven van de Velde From Entry, Dutch Pair Withdraw From Adelaide Worlds

The visa refusal applies Australia’s character test following political and public pressure over his 2016 UK child-rape conviction.

Overview

  • Home affairs minister Tony Burke confirmed the government denied the visa, saying authorities will use every tool to keep communities safe.
  • The Dutch volleyball association said both Steven van de Velde and partner Alexander Brouwer will not compete at the world championships starting 14 November in Adelaide.
  • Brouwer said on social media that the decision ends his season, noting he had hoped to contest his seventh world championships.
  • South Australia’s attorney-general Kyam Maher urged the denial in writing, and an online petition opposing entry gathered more than 4,000 signatures.
  • Event organisers said they will proceed with staging the tournament, and the decision aligns with recent High Court backing of the government’s discretion in character-test visa cases.