Novak Djokovic is set to be deported for the second time today after his visa was revoked, bringing next week’s Australian Open tournament to a halt.
Officials said world tennis No 1, who has not been vaccinated for COVID-19, could pose a risk to the community.
The cancellation means that Djokovic will be barred from a new Australian visa for three years, except in certain circumstances.
Defending Australian Open champion Djokovic was drawn into a top-seeded draw on Thursday and faces fellow Serb Miomir Kekmanovic for his opening match, probably on Monday or Tuesday.
The saga has sparked a global debate over the rights of choice for vaccines, raised questions over Australia’s handling of Djokovic’s visas and has become a difficult issue for Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he runs for re-election. are promoting.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used discretionary powers to revoke Djokovic’s visa after a court overturned an earlier revocation and released him from immigration custody on Monday.
Australia has canceled Novak Djokovic’s visa for the second time, the country’s immigration minister announced on Friday. Image: Djokovic rests during a training session at Melbourne Park, Australia on January 14, 2022
“Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to revoke Mr. Novak Djokovic’s visa on the grounds of health and good order, on the grounds that it is in the public interest to do so,” Hawke said. a statement.
‘This decision followed the orders of the Federal Circuit and Family Court on January 10, 2022, setting aside the prior cancellation on grounds of procedural fairness.
‘In making this decision, I have carefully considered the information provided to me by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic.
‘The Morrison Government is strongly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.’
Mr Hawke’s decision comes just three days before the start of the Australian Open, where Djokovic hoped to become the most successful men’s player of all time.
It will likely result in another round of court action by the 34-year-old Serb, who has already won the Open nine times, and further disorganizes the Grand Slam tournament.
However, legal experts say it will be difficult – if not impossible – for Djokovic to successfully challenge the immigration minister’s decision to cancel visas made in person.
Djokovic could be detained in Melbourne while the Open goes on without the world’s top player, making tennis a nightmare for Australia.
Protests have been predicted and the federal government can expect an international response, especially from Serbia, in response to its decision.
Pictured: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic stands at a booth of the Australian Border Force at the airport in Melbourne, Australia, January 5, 2022
Melbourne’s The Age newspaper reported earlier on Friday, citing a source in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal Party, that the government was “leaning strongly” towards revoking visas.
The tennis star was facing increasing criticism for her actions, including from other tennis players attending the Australian Open next week.
Greek world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas said Djokovic is “playing by his own rules” and making vaccinated players “like fools”.
‘Nobody really thought they could come to Australia without vaccinations and not follow protocol… it takes a lot of courage to do that and risk a Grand Slam, which I don’t think many The players will,’ Tsitsipas said in an interview with India’s WION news channel.
An online survey by the News Corp media group found that 83 percent supported the government trying to deport the tennis star.
Demands to deport Djokovic rose after discrepancies emerged between immigration documents and his sworn evidence on social media posts.
Djokovic, who has not been vaccinated against Covid, was denied a visa to enter Australia by a Border Force officer on January 6, but that decision was overturned by a Federal Circuit Court on Monday.
She has since admitted to providing false information on her travel entry form, falsely claiming that she had not traveled in the 14 days prior to her arrival in Melbourne, despite visiting Spain.
Djokovic has also admitted that he violated Serbia’s isolation rules after testing positive for the virus on 16 December.
Djokovic said he was personally interviewed by a French newspaper when he was infected with Covid, and blamed his agent for an ‘administrative error’ on his travel entry form.
The discrepancies came to the fore after Djokovic issued a lengthy Instagram statement on Wednesday to clarify “misinformation” about his movements while staying positive with Covid.
“I would like to address the continuing misinformation about my activities and attendance at events in December in the lead up to my positive COVID test result,” it began.
‘I want to emphasize that I have worked very hard to ensure everyone’s safety and compliance with testing obligations.’
More to follow…
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