The head of the country's largest bikie gang has had his visa cancelled and is stranded in his home country of Malta.

Alex Vella, 60, is the national president of the Rebels motorcycle gang and has lived in Australia since the 1960s but has never become an Australian citizen.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed he has cancelled the bikie chief's visa under character provisions of the Migration Act.

The cancellation of his visa means Mr Vella, who was planning to cut short his holiday and return to Australia for the funeral of his sister-in-law, will not be granted entry into the country.

"We have taken this action while Mr Vella was offshore and he will take whatever remedies he sees fit to take in relation to the decision that I took last Friday using the character provisions of the Migration Act," Mr Morrison said.

"We take these character issues very, very seriously as a Government, and this Government is not going to shirk its responsibility when it comes to making the decisions about these very serious character matters."

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It is unclear what information the decision is based on, and a brief statement from Australian Crime Commission (ACC) chief executive Chris Dawson does not shed any light.

"The Crime Commission works with a range of government agencies, including the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, on behalf of law enforcement," Mr Dawson said.

"The content and scope of the information provided to the Minister for Immigration is protected under s503A of the Migration Act and, as such, no further details can be provided."

Motorcycle community rallies around Rebels chief

The Rebels bikie gang has been the target of law enforcement authorities in recent years.

According to the ACC, it is the biggest gang in Australia with 25 per cent of all bikies belonging to the club.

But Mr Vella has reportedly told Fairfax Media he has been unfairly targeted, and members of the motorcycle community have leapt to his defence.

A post made on the Motor Cycle Clubs Australia Facebook page has slammed the decision, labelling Australia's laws and Government as a "joke".

"He's lived in Australia for over 40 years, employs dozens of people, has multiple investment and development businesses, pays hundreds of thousands in taxation, he is a self-made man and Aussie success story, it's ... beyond comprehension," the post said.

Previous efforts to cancel visa unsuccessful

It is not the first time attempts have been made to stop Mr Vella from returning to Australia while overseas.

In 2007, Mr Vella went to Japan to watch his son compete in a boxing match. The then-government refused to renew his visa but a successful challenge saw his return to Australia.

Senior law lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology Mark Lauchs says it is normal government policy to "try and keep people with a criminal record outside of the country".

"My understanding is that Alex Vella doesn't have full citizenship so they're taking the opportunity to stop a person who's been here for most of his life from returning to the country on the same basis as if he had, for example, been a person seeking a tourist visa ... and they have a similar criminal record," he said.

Mr Lauchs, who has researched outlaw motorcycle gangs, says he is not sure whether the Government's decision will have an impact on the Rebels.

"Since it's an international organisation, it may be that he can still simply be this boss of bosses and not have to run an individual chapter, just as the boss of bosses of the Hells Angels can give directions down the chain to a chapter of the Hells Angels in Brisbane from the United States," he said.