Musician David Rovics refused entry to New Zealand and Australia

[Generic Other]

If you are familiar with David Rovic's songs (his music has been posted on DU over the years), you might be interested in what is happening to him at the moment. His latest CD is PRISM. You can listen here for free:

http://davidrovics.bandcamp.com/album/into-a-prism

Anyway, he's currently stranded in Tokyo at Narita airport because they wouldn't let him board a plane to New Zealand where he had some gigs lined up. Now he is told that he can't go to Australia either where he has performed before. And the immigration people mentioned they had read his blog before making their decision!!

If anyone is able to help him, he seems to be in trouble. I think it is highly unusual to stop someone who has never been arrested or broken any laws entry to another country in this fashion. It does seem as if it is politically motivated. Of course this might just be the world on heightened alert. Anyway, a strange tale.

Any immigration experts on DU?

http://songwritersnotebook.blogspot.jp/2013/08/update-on-my-efforts-to-enter-new.html

http://songwritersnotebook.blogspot.jp/2013/08/you-are-not-welcome-in-new-zealand.html

[mike_c]

1. I don't think there's any question that it's "politically motivated...."

I mean, given that Rovics sings about politics and social issues, apparently he hit someone's nerve. I hope his fans in NZ and Australia make their displeasure known!

[Generic Other]

2. The guy is no Snowden or Assange!

I made a video using his music. He let me use it free. He takes a collection among fans when he wants to record. What a creepy undercover world we now live in.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. I've never heard of him, but I suspect there's more to this story...

On his blog he said: 'In the past two tours of Australia I've done, I have entered on a tourist visa and then, before the first gig happened, an agent I've worked with has gotten me a work visa. This is totally legal and happens all the time.'

http://songwritersnotebook.blogspot.jp/2013/08/update-on-my-efforts-to-enter-new.html

I don't know where he got the idea that it's legal to enter the country on a tourist visa when he's planning to work. What they do most of the time is turn people around and tell them they've got to apply for the correct visa before they return. And they'll more than likely do this thing where they exclude the person from entering the country for a year or two. So I'm guessing that in the case of Australia, it's come back to bite him...

[Generic Other]

7. He's been there three times before

so apparently the rules must have been lax at one time. But under our growing global police state? I don't know.

I used to go to Canada all the time from a border town and never carried even ID. No one asked at Customs.

[Violet_Crumble]

8. They've always been incredibly strict about working on tourist visas...

I suspect what's happened in the past is that like most people getting off a plane, he breezes through customs with his tourist visa. It's only later when the work visa was applied for that it's probably been picked up, because from what I know of it, people aren't allowed to apply for tourist visas to enter Australia from within Australia.

He should get something from customs explaining why he wasn't allowed to come here. The only person I can think of who was barred from coming here because of their political beliefs (and I shudder to use the word political for this one) was David Irving, the famous Holocaust denier, who'd planned to do a bunch of public lectures that his jack-booted, anti-Semitic fans would attend.

I feel bad for David Robic. It would truly suck to have everything set up and then get the rug pulled out from under him. I hope that it can be sorted out and he can still play here, even if when I head off in a minute to listen to what he does it turns out I think his music sucks. If I were in charge of immigration and visas here, I'd be brutal. 'Old washed up 70's bands like The Eagles and Bread? You suck and I'm not letting you come here to play to people with bad taste in music who just can't let the past stay in the past!'

[Generic Other]

9. Ouch for The Eagles and Bread! LOL

Well maybe it isn't about the political content of his work then because he's no where near as scary as David Irving!!

[NightWatcher]

3. I was following his daily blogs about it

I would've said FU to Kiwi Land and beat feet back to the states as soon as they started asking questions about his last trip there. Just glad that Dave's keeping out of trouble.

[sabrina 1]

4. The signs of desperation grow each day. I wonder what we don't know, but they sure

are leaving no stone unturned in trying to silence everyone.

I hope his fans get behind him and turn this into an international event. How stupid to make such a big deal over someone many people otherwise, would never have heard of. Now millions will be looking to see what it is he has done to have his travel so restricted.

[Generic Other]

6. New NSA Kevin Bacon game

I think it is overaggressive low level bureaucrats at the very least or offended upper level ones in high places.

But here's the thing. I have had contact with Rovics because I used his music in some of my videos. So if I am to play the new NSA Kevin Bacon game, I guess I am currently being sucked into the NSA vacuum too.

Reminds me of when Paul Robeson had his passport seized to prevent him from singing at a Peace concert in Canada. They changed the venue of the concert to the Peace Arch at the border, so Robeson stood on the US side singing to an audience on the Canadian side.

[iemitsu]

10. I wonder if posting on a Generic Other threat is considered

one degree of separation or if its farther removed?

[Generic Other]

11. only if TSA gets hold of you

and you say you'd rather have a patdown.

[iemitsu]

12. A tough choice, their slimey hands or unnecessary exposure to

radioactive waves.
You'll let us know if you're rejected, the next time you want to travel to New Zealand?

[treestar]

13. No one has an absolute right to enter another country

other than one is a citizen of.

If he violated their rules in the past, they may refuse to let him back for a number of years.

[Generic Other]

14. Reminds me of Alice's Restaurant

except without Alice.