Reuters has once again suspended the visa of unaccompanied Djokovic tennis star Australia

By Ian Ransom and Sonali Paul

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia canceled Novak Djokovic’s visa for the second time on Friday, saying the world’s number one tennis player, who has not been vaccinated for COVID-19, could pose a health risk.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used his discretion to revoke Djokovic’s visa after a court overturned a previous revocation of the COVID-19 entry regulations and released him from immigration detention on Monday.

Djokovic, 34, had the right to challenge the revocation again and a court said it would hold a preliminary trial on the 0945 GMT visa. He didn’t practice.

Age reported that the Serb, who was competing for the 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Monday, had been summoned to appear before immigration officials on Saturday and would not return to custody in the meantime.

“Today, I have exercised my power under Article 133C (3) of the Migration Act to revoke Mr. Novak Djokovic’s visa for reasons of health and good order on the grounds that it was in the public interest,” Hawke said. a statement.

According to Article 133C, Djokovic would not be able to obtain a visa for Australia for three years, except in unavoidable circumstances.

A source close to Djokovic’s team said he was looking into his options. Hawke’s office was not available for comment.

The controversy has heightened the global debate over vaccine rights and has become a difficult political issue for Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he campaigns for the May election.

‘A LOT OF SACRIFICE’

Although the Morrison government has gained support at home due to its tough stance on border security during the pandemic, it has not escaped criticism for its seemingly consistent management of Djokovic’s visa application.

“Australians have made many sacrifices in this pandemic, and they reasonably hope to protect the outcome of those sacrifices,” Morrison said in a statement.

“This is what the minister is doing today in this action. Our strong border protection policies have kept the Australians safe,” he said, adding that he would not comment further on the expected judicial process.

Djokovic, Australian Open champion, entered the draw https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/australian-open-draw-delayed-djokovic-visa-decision-waited-2022-01-13 seed and Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic he had to face him for the starting game next week.

As he relaxed, he practiced his kicks and returns on an empty Melbourne Park court with his entourage earlier on Friday, occasionally taking a break to remove sweat from his face.

Skeptic vaccines angered many Australians last week on their way to Melbourne with a medical exception https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/key-moments-novak-djokovics-australian-saga-2022-01-12 visitors against COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

When he arrived, the Australian Border Force ruled that his exemption was invalid and placed him in an immigration detention hotel next to asylum seekers for several days.

Hawk said he had carefully looked at information from Djokovic and the Australian authorities, adding that the government was “firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, especially with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Australia has suffered some of the longest blockades in the world, with a 90% vaccination rate among adults, and a runaway outbreak of Omicron has led to nearly a million cases in the last two weeks.

‘NOT BIG’

Greek world number one Stefanos Tsitsipas, speaking before Hawke’s decision, said Djokovic was “acting according to his own rules” and that the vaccinated players “looked stupid.”

British tennis star Andy Murray said the situation was deplorable for everyone.

“Not great for tennis, not great for the Australian Open, not great for Novak,” Murray told reporters at the Sydney Classic.

In an online poll by the News Corp (NASDAQ 🙂 media group, 83% were in favor of expelling Djokovic.

“Scott Morrison made a rational decision to send the rich tennis star home after calculating the enormous political cost of giving him special treatment,” wrote David Crowe, chief political correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers.

Opposition Labor leader Anthony Albanese said:

Opponents of Basaxak have called Djokovic a hero, while his family and the Serbian government have portrayed him as a victim of harassment.

Djokovic’s case was not supported by an incorrect entry statement, which marked a box indicating that he had not traveled abroad in the two weeks before he left for Australia.

In fact, he traveled between Spain and Serbia https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/djokovic-travelled-across-europe-before-australia-trip-odds-with-declaration-2022-01-11.

Djokovic blamed his agent for the mistake and admitted that he did not have to conduct an interview and a photo shoot on December 18 for a French newspaper while he was infected with COVID-19.

Former immigration official Abul Rizvi told Reuters that before the decision, Article 133C’s powers were used only in “extreme conditions” and would lead to a three-year entry ban.