Lebanon-born Australian MP blocked from entering US despite having same visa as colleagues who got in
Khalil Eideh was not told why he couldn't board the plane to Denver
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Lebanon-born politician from Australia has been denied entry to the US despite having the same visa as the rest of his party.
Khalil Eideh, a Labor MP in Victoria, was stuck in Vancouver after a staff member from United Airlines told him he was not allowed to board a flight to Denver with his fellow politicians.
The group had been in Europe and Canada studying drug laws, and was on its way to the US for the next leg of the trip.
Sex party MP Fiona Patten, who was travelling with Mr Eideh, wrote on Twitter: “It was shocking we had all received the same US visa and were all traveling on official passports.”
“The United Airlines staff knew he had been denied entry to the US before any of us,” Ms Patten told AAP from Denver. “He was incredibly upset ... disbelieving.”
Ms Patten said Mr Eideh was not told why he wasn’t allowed on the plane. The Victorian government has sought an explanation.
“The Victorian Government has made representations to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and have asked them to seek an explanation from the US authorities as to why a Victorian Member of Parliament was refused entry to the United States,” a government spokesperson told The New Daily.
Mr Eideh was born in Tripoli in Lebanon to Syrian parents who follow the Alawite Islamic faith, according to The Guardian. He moved to Australia in 1970 at the age of 15.
Mr Eideh has previously come under scrutiny for comments he made in the early 2000s in support of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, who US President Donald Trump has targeted.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments