News: Snoop Dogg Banned from Australia

Snoop Dogg has been banned from yet another country - this time Down Under.

The rapper's visa application to Australia was rejected because of his history of trouble with the law, said the country's Immigration Minister, Kevin Andrews.

"He doesn't seem the sort of bloke we want in this country," Andrews told Sydney's Macquarie Radio. "He has a whole string of convictions, and just two weeks ago he was convicted of a number of charges again."

Snoop Dogg's attorney has expressed disappointment at a recent decision by the country's Immigration Minister to deny the rapper entry into Australia.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said the rapper failed to meet Australia's character test, which takes previous criminal convictions into account. Australia has notoriously strict immigration and visa requirements where criminal history is taken into account. During Snoop Dogg's last visit to Australia in February, Andrews said he overstayed his visa by two days and was given an official warning.

The 35-year-old rapper was due to travel to Australia to co-host and perform at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards on Sunday.

Snoop Dogg, who was recently denied entry into the United Kingdom as part of a tour with Sean "Diddy" Combs, recently plead no contest to drug and weapons charges stemming from incidents at two separate airports in California in Sept. and Oct. of 2006.

Snoop was sentenced to five years probation and 800 hours of community service, "We are very disappointed and hope that the minister will reconsider his decision," Snoop Dogg's attorney Donald Etra said in a statement released on Apr. 26. "Snoop just completed a very successful European tour where he was able to spread his message of peace to his fans and hopes to continue it around the world. Snoop has no gang ties and this is evident through his ongoing efforts to get kids off the streets and out of gangs via self funded programs such as his youth football league. Snoop loves Australia and Australia loves Snoop. He truly hopes to have the opportunity to perform for his fans."

Snoop Dogg was scheduled to be co-host of the Australian MTV Music Awards on Sunday (Apr. 29).

Today, executives at MTV lent their support and intensified their efforts to overturn the country's ban on Snoop Dogg.

The network has six immigration specialists who are helping to prepare Snoop Dogg's case and remained hopeful that Snoop Dogg would appear at the awards ceremony on Apr. 29.

"We're putting a lot of energy in to making a case for how popular Snoop is and the fact he's been here before without incident...we're hopeful that when people tune in to MTV at seven o'clock on Sunday, they'll see Snoop Dogg on the red carpet." said MTV managing director Dave Sibly in a statement.

Snoop Dogg will not be replaced as host of the awards ceremony if his appeal is denied.