Geert Wilders delays Australia trip to next year

Monday 01 October 2012

MP and anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders has delayed his planned trip to Australia until the spring break next year, the Telegraaf reported on Monday.

An Australian anti-Islam group invited Wilders to give two speeches later this month but the Dutch parliamentarian has not yet received a visa.

Last month, Australia's immigration minister Chris Bouwen defended the time taken to process the visa application, saying 'it is not unusual for applications to take several weeks for a decision in complex cases'.

It is not clear if Wilders' decision to delay the trip is related to the visa problems but the Telegraaf says the delay will give him time to fight the decision if the visa is eventually refused.

The parliamentarian was refused entry to England in 2009, but later allowed in for a screening of his anti-Islam video compilation Fitna.

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