Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is set to be deported after his visa was revoked by the Australian government. The world No.1 is expected to file an injunction to stop the deportation.
Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed on Thursday that Djokovic would have to leave the country following the cancellation of his visa.
“The advice I have is that the ABF (Australian Border Force) can confirm that Mr Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia and his visa has been subsequently cancelled,” Hunt told Channel 7.
“It’s a matter for him whether he wishes to appeal that but if a visa is cancelled, somebody will have to leave the country
“That follows a review of the exemption which was provided through Victorian government processes.”
It is believed that Djokovic will be transferred to a city hotel until the injunction is heard or a flight out of the country is arranged.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison weighed in, saying no-one was above border rules.
“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules,” Morrison tweeted on Thursday morning.
But the move by the Australian government threatened to cause a diplomatic incident between Canberra and Belgrade.
“I’ve just finished my telephone conversation with Novak Djokovic,” Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic posted on Instagram.
“I told our Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him and that our bodies are doing everything to see that the harassment of the world’s best tennis player is brought to an end immediately.
“In line with all norms of international law, Serbia will fight for Novak, truth and justice.”
(Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Djokovic had a vaccination exemption from that allowed him to compete in Melbourne but with a visa that did not allow for medical exemptions.
However it’s reported that the visa Djokovic was using was the same as three other international tennis players with similar exemptions who had already entered the country without incident.
The Victorian government said it was a matter for federal authorities.
“We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the federal government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors,” Victoria’s acting Sports Minister Jaala Pulford said.
Djokovic was left stranded overnight in a police-guarded room at Melbourne airport amid the visa mix-up.
The extraordinary, escalating soap opera surrounding the world’s best men’s player continued on Wednesday night when he flew straight into a political storm and a visa controversy on arrival into Tullamarine Airport after a 14-hour flight from Dubai.
The Age newspaper reported on Thursday morning that Djokovic’s visa has been rejected, and he has been told to leave the country.
“Djokovic’s lawyers are in the process of challenging the decision, two sources familiar with the situation confirmed to The Age,” the paper reported.
The earlier detainment left his father Srdjan telling the Serbian B92 internet portal: “Novak is currently in a room which no one can enter. In front of the room are two policemen.”
Srdjan also reportedly told Serbian media: “I have no idea what’s going on, they are holding my son captive for five hours.
“This is a fight for the libertarian world, this is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world. If they don’t let him go in half an hour, we will gather on the street. This is a fight for everyone.”
Djokovic was still awaiting permission to enter the country with his team reportedly having applied for a visa that does not allow for medical exemptions.
The 34-year-old, never a stranger to controversy, has found himself the subject of a major public backlash in Australia after revealing on Tuesday that he’d received the vaccination exemption which allowed him to bid for a record 21st major title.
But amid the storm, tournament director Craig Tiley insisted the world No.1 was getting no special treatment and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the player “would be on the next plane home” if he could not provide the proper evidence for his exemption.
But Djokovic was embroiled in entry problems as Victoria’s Sports Minister Jaala Pulford confirmed the state government did not support his visa application, effectively putting his fate in the hands of federal government.
The Age newspaper said the federal Border Force had contacted the Victoria state government asking if it would support his application after his team applied for the wrong kind of visa.
Pulford said in a tweet: “The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia.
“We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.”
It was not clear whether the federal government would allow his entry and the Border Force could not be reached for comment.
As Djokovic was left in isolation to ponder this astonishing start to his trip, there were also growing demands for him to clear up any doubts over the reasons for why he’d been given the exemption.
Toni Nadal, the uncle and long-time former coach of Djokovic’s great rival Rafael Nadal, urged him to clarify the situation.
Writing in his newspaper column in El Pais, Nadal said: “There are almost six million people who have lost their lives due to this damn virus and many other millions who have received the vaccine.
“I want to think that Novak is no stranger to all this and that he will clear up the doubts as a sign of human sensitivity and understanding.”
Even the great Rod Laver, fearing that Djokovic’s participation on the court named after him at Melbourne Park could see passions running high, wants him the Serb to open up.
“I think it might get ugly. I’d think the Victorian people would be thinking, ‘Yes I’d love to see him play and compete but at the same time, there’s a right way and a wrong way’.
“If he’s got a reason for (the exemption) then … we should know it.”
Australia’s world No.1 Ash Barty said: “I think it’s a tough one. As we’ve seen a little bit in the last day or so, from the Australian public, I know how hard it has been for Australians… but in particular Victorians have had a real rough trot over the last 18 months and two years.
“I understand why they may be frustrated with the decision. Ultimately, I have no interest in speaking about Novak’s medical history. It’s not my decision. Those decisions are made. They’re completely out of my control.”
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Must be nice on Fantasy Island, Blitz. Dr. Kary Mullis died in 2019. Dr Montagnier "has since become a controversial figure for pushing various fringe medical theories, while he has also been denounced by sections of the wider academic fraternity for his dubious claims about AIDS transmission." Dr. Vladimir Zelenko sprouted the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID. It was his data that Trump used last year.
JB
Guest
Hey m7, you brought it up. Right now apparently he isn't eligible to enter Australia. And right now he isn't eligible to enter the other counters that hold grand slam events "Just go home Novak ..There are other tournaments .."
mushi
Roar Guru
So you know they all had the same fact pattern? That's amazing I thought that info was confidential
wrenne
Roar Rookie
From the outside it looks like TA kept reassuring him that things would work out by the time he arrived, and didn't they say publicly that they didn't know the grounds for his exemption? Did they not reach the same conclusion that the rest of us did that it would be on the grounds that he'd had COVID recently? Or perhaps they thought his star power was enough so that once he was standing at customs smirking no one would raise a fuss. Because it also seems that someone advised him not to arrive earlier for the ATP tournament in Sydney because there would have been more time to deport him. They were counting on it being so close to the start of the AO.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Um the current Australian Open is the one in question and topical right now ..not other tournaments...we will deal with the Wimbledon , Paris and New York events when they happen ...
JB
Guest
Yes there are .. ironically though under current rules around entry to each of the grand slam tournaments he would't be eligible to enter the country of any of them .. Australia bad .. everyone else in the world is ok though .. yep Australia is really really bad
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
For possessive it's "their". There is used to locate something, like a brain.
JB
Guest
Apparently the initial court proceeding was open (it was reported that there were approx 140 people present). You'd expect after Monday there'll be a bit more clarity, and you'd hope transparency Pretty sure his tweet announcing he was coming was from an airport just prior to checking in. He would've already been on his way when the outrage started here. TBH, I don't care if he stays or goes. Well as long as there are legit reasons in either case.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Just go home Novak ..There are other tournaments ..
soapit
Roar Guru
Yeah ive be never seen them either (though not bothered to list my own travel history). Though I'm not the world no 1 trumpeting a suspicious entry beforehand. It’s quite possible that a mistake was made and he never should’ve been granted a visa in the first place Yep and if this is the case I don't think it fair all the blame for the situation be laid at Novak's feet. And given his profile and comments I would have thought a quick review of his approved visa once we were all aware he was coming would have been appropriate.
ExiledinSG
Guest
Hahahaha...now he claims to be a bitcoin genius. The lies keep growing.
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
I was never worried about running out toilet paper when there are so many Murdoch print media to choose from
JB
Guest
The link provides a huge amount of info on how to obtain a visa and the all the requirements. There are a large number of different visa options to travel to Australia. At the moment I have no idea what visa ND applied for? Nor the supporting documentation required for the visa he applied for. I don't know why, if he provided the correct documentation when applying for his visa, he was refused entry? I read the following in article online earlier today .. "The second layer of border protection is when a passenger boards an airline to come to Australia. There will be people from Australian Border Force who stand behind the airline staff at the departing port, ready to pull passengers aside or direct staff to remove people from the plane if they have any concerns." Personally, I have returned to Australia (sometimes direct, sometimes in transit) from Auckland, Bangkok, Denpasar, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Port Moresby, Singapore, Seoul just off of the top of my head and have never once seen an ABF offical at an airline check-in counter. To expect foreign nations employed by their respective airlines providing flight check-ins to understand the in and outs required for different visas (for different countries) is never going to work. As I mentioned previously, at the airline check-in counters all they do is check your passport and if required that you have an entry visa for your destination. I don't know what the problem was on his arrival in Melbourne. And as the website states, the onus is always on the traveller to make sure they are carrying the required documentation to pass through immigration. It's quite possible that a mistake was made and he never should've been granted a visa in the first place.
soapit
Roar Guru
Link takes me to a page where I can commence a visa application. Not sure what it's supposed to be revealing to the discussion?
Carl Spackler
Guest
Looks like a lack of communication and this presumptive group calling themselves, 'Tennis Australia' has led to this. The Federal government who operate the borders in Australia have never changed it's stance. It's a complete non issue here and looks like Novak rolled the dice on bullying his way through thinking he is too big for us yokals. Problem is Tennis Australia said, come on down. Unfortunately for Novak and the numbskulls at TA, that group is a body running a professional tennis tournament, not the Australian borders, Australian government or world peace. Sometimes you wonder about the mentality of pro sporting bodies. Raf Nadal put it best, "Australian government said many, many, many months ago there is no way you can enter being unvaccinated."
James584
Roar Rookie
That is the only reason this has happened. And like most things Morrison does, it will blow up into a full blown crisis.
mushi
Roar Guru
I thought the same thing when he tweeted. Especially when he was deliberately on the "why". He thought he was demonstrating his status as a "leader of the free world" but instead he erected a neon sign saying - check my visa. Ever since he became a lock to be the record holder his behaviour has markedly changed. Which is a shame.
Adsa
Roar Rookie
Thank you Don, I have also wondered what the hell his Manager was doing. Surely a competent well paid Manager would have gone through all documentation from TA and Australian immigration authorities.
Adam
Roar Guru
Oh passing it is very easy (though my 2nd moderna gave me a pretty decent fever). But yep, my understanding of what happened is pretty much the same. The funny thing about legal documents like this is that not knowing the rules is not a defence, particularly if you sign them.
Adam
Roar Guru
That's the way I read it too. I seems that the system is quite easy to get around. You apply for a visa saying that you have a medical exemption and then hope that no one actually checks your paperwork closely. I think if he doesn't tweet he might have got away with it. I think what is likely to have happened is that Tennis Aus has got him to get the usual visa and have assured him the medical certificate he has is sufficient. Now this works for people that actually have a medical condition that can be proven when they land and go through customs and most customs officers wouldn't pay too much attention but Novak is a little more high profile and he made the mistake of tweeting and raising the awareness that he was arriving - potentially with a dodgy visa/medical certificate