World tennis ace Novak Djokovic will be deported after the Australian government cancelled his visa, just days out from the Australian Open.
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has cancelled Novak Djokovic’s visa, declaring that he exercised his power under section 133C (3) of the Migration Act.
However, the 34-year-old Serbian can still launch another legal challenge to remain in Australia.
The men’s tennis number one was scheduled to play in the Australian Open, which begins on Monday.
Mr Hawke says he intervened on “health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.”
“This decision followed orders by the Federal Circuit and Family Court on 10 January 2022, quashing a prior cancellation decision on procedural fairness grounds.
“In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr Djokovic.
“The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Immediate injunction
Djokovic’s lawyers are expected to file an injunction against his deportation, while the tennis ace is also expected to be interview by the Department of Immigration.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended the decision, saying Australians had paid a tough price during lockdown over the last two years.
“This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for every Australian but we have stuck together and saved lives and livelihoods,” the Prime Minister said. “Together we have achieved one of the lowest death rates, strongest economies and highest vaccination rates, in the world.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
“Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected.
“This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today.”
scott morrison, australian pm
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese accused the government of being caught flat-footed.
“There are so many areas whereby the Morrison government’s character shows out, that it always responds too little and too late, that it never actually envisages a problem that’s coming down the track, doesn’t act until a problem becomes a crisis.”
“Novak Djokovic and his participation in the Australian Open has been the number one sports story in the world for months … It is now almost 60 days since his visa was granted. They have never answered the question of how is it that that visa was granted in the first place if he wasn’t eligible because he wasn’t fully vaccinated.”
How we got to this point
Novak Djokovic arrived in Melbourne on January 5 and promptly had his visa canceled for entering Australia without a valid reason.
He spent several nights in a detention hotel in Melbourne.
His lawyers challenged the decision and won the legal battle on Monday, but since then questions have emerged over Djokovic’s behavior after testing positive for Covid-19 on December 16.
Djokovic acknowledged he did not immediately isolate after receiving a positive diagnosis — but denied knowing he had the virus when attending several public events.
He also apologised for false information on his Australia visa declaration.
Ahron Young is an award winning journalist who has covered major news events around the world. Ahron is the Managing Editor and Founder of TICKER NEWS.
There has been widespread outcry amongst players following the move, with many branding the competition an “exhibition”.
Prominent players including Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic have been critical of the decision.
But Andy Murray has taken to Twitter to defend the legitimacy of the tournament.
I follow golf very closely and have no idea how many ranking points the winner of the @TheMasters gets. Me and my friends love football and non of us know or care how many ranking points a team gets for winning the @FIFAWorldCup
The 35-year-old says most people watching on centre court “wouldn’t know or care about how many ranking points a player gets for winning a 3rd round match”.
“But I guarantee they will remember who wins. Wimbledon will never be an exhibition and will never feel like an exhibition. The end.”
Andy Murray
Naomi Osaka, speaking on Monday after her loss in the opening round of the French Open, was critical of the decision.
“I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition,” she says.
“Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100 per cent.”
“I didn’t even make my decision yet, but I’m leaning more towards not playing” she adds.
A takeover bid for Chelsea football club has been approved by the Premier League
46-year-old American Todd Boehly’s $5.33 U.S. billion dollar deal is given the go-ahead.
The L.A. Dodgers co-owner heads a multi-billion dollar consortium.
The club came up for grabs when the former owner and Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was sanctioned amid the war in Ukraine.
A takeover has been hanging in the balance but now Premier League bosses have given their approval to Boehly passing the required owners and directors tests with flying colours.
However, it’s not signed, sealed and delivered yet the purchase remains subject to U.K. Government approval.
Regardless, a takeover must go through by May 31 for Chelsea to compete in next season’s Champions League.