Brian Tamaki says Australia denied him entry after visa cancellation

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki says he was denied entry into Australia and sent back to New Zealand after being detained and questioned by Australian Border Force officials for 12 hours.

In a video posted on social media on Thursday, Tamaki said he had travelled to Australia with his family on Tuesday morning to speak at a Destiny Church conference in Brisbane.

However, he claimed he was taken to a separate room on arrival and questioned by border officials before his visa was cancelled.

"And then for the next 12 hours straight, I was interrogated," he said. "Then I was put into a confinement place for to stay overnight before I was sent home because they actually cancelled my visa and basically deported me or sent home, as quoted by 1News.

"In the meantime, I was under guard at a confinement detention immigration detention centre. So, it was a whole day spent on Tuesday being interrogated by different border control officers in a tiny cell, cell-like room, shut doors, and it was a very intense time," as quoted by 1News.

Tamaki also claimed that documents from the Australian Border Force described his social media statements as "inflammatory and concerning".

According to 1News, the incident came a day after the 68-year-old pleaded not guilty in Manukau District Court to three charges of inciting racial disharmony.

The charges were laid under the Human Rights Act over alleged offending in June, including multiple Facebook posts. The posts were described as "abusive", "insulting" and likely to excite "ill will", 1News has quoted.

Speaking to media outside court on Monday, Tamaki said he was unsure which specific posts were the subject of the charges but suspected they related to his comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Following his court appearance, Tamaki was granted bail and is due to appear again on January 25, 2027.

In Thursday's video, he described the court proceedings as "a summons about free speech".

He also alleged that authorities in New Zealand and Australia had "collaborated together to basically go after one person to silence them", as quoted by 1News.

"That's what it was about: Censoring and silencing Brian Tamaki, not only in New Zealand, but now Australia want to silence me in their country", as quoted by 1News.

Australia's Department of Home Affairs has been contacted by 1News for comment.