Visa Cancelled and Sent Home: SA’s Matthew Gruter Returns After Neo-Nazi Rally Fallout

When Matthew Gruter walked through the doors at OR Tambo International Airport just after 2:30pm, there was no soft landing. Cameras were rolling, microphones ready. And the man at the centre of global headlines a South African whose Australian visa was cancelled after he appeared at a neo-Nazi rally did not take the sudden public attention lightly.

Gruter, who moved to Australia with his family in 2022, was linked to an anti-Jewish protest outside the New South Wales parliament last month. The demonstration, allegedly organised by the National Socialist Network, drew roughly 60 men dressed in black, standing behind a banner reading “Abolish the Jewish lobby.”

It didn’t take long for the fallout to reach him.

Thoughts and prayers to deported Neo-Nazi Matthew Gruter.pic.twitter.com/aTpDOSaKRo

Kenny Devine (@TheKennyDevine) December 5, 2025

A heated arrival back home

Videos circulating online show Gruter visibly agitated and confrontational, shoving away a photographer and responding sharply to questions about whether he was treated fairly by Australian authorities.

His frustration poured out in a raw moment caught on camera:

“Murderers, rapists, they get to stay, and I get detained six hours after I get my visa cancelled… I just stood there… over some nonsense. Do you think it’s fair?”

For many watching, the clip was jarring. Some social media users expressed outrage, while others debated whether visa revocation was justified. In typical South African fashion, commentary ranged from serious political debate to memes and sarcasm because on local X and TikTok, nothing escapes humour.

Why he was sent home

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the visa cancellation, defending the decision publicly:

“If you are on a visa, you are a guest. If you’re a citizen, you’re a full member of the Australian family… If a guest turns up to show hatred and wreck the household, they can be told it’s time to go home.”

Reports from the Sydney Morning Herald describe Gruter as a senior figure linked to the National Socialist Network a group widely known for neo-Nazi ideology. Before his arrest, he was reportedly active on social media accounts associated with the organisation.

Australia has experienced a rise in far-right extremism, leading to stricter laws, including a mandatory prison sentence for performing the Nazi salute a sign of just how seriously the government is taking the issue.

The bigger picture, more than just one man

While Gruter’s return makes headlines, the story taps into wider conversations:

• Global extremism is rising, not only in Australia but across Europe, the US and even southern Africa.

• South Africans are split, free speech vs hate speech remains a fierce debate.

• Immigrant conduct abroad increasingly comes under scrutiny, especially in countries tightening security policies.

There is also a human element a family uprooted, a life abruptly shifted, and an uncertain future now unfolding back home.

Awaiting official response

The Citizen has reached out to:

• South African Home Affairs

• Minister Leon Schreiber

• Matthew Gruter himself

Responses will be added as soon as they are received.

A story still unfolding

As Gruter settles back into South African soil, one can’t help but wonder what comes next. Will he face further backlash? Will he defend himself publicly? And what conversations will this spark about extremism, migration, and accountability for political affiliation abroad?

For now, the cameras have captured the moment, a man leaving one life behind, stepping into another under a spotlight brighter than he ever expected.