Djokovic loses Australia’s expulsion battle when court rules on visa cancellation
Novak Djokovic was to be deported from Australia after a court on Sunday dismissed his appeal against the government’s revocation of his Australian visa on the grounds that his decision not to vaccinate posed a risk to the country.
The court’s decision ends Djokovic’s hopes of winning the Australian Open and winning a record-breaking 21 Grand Slam titles for men.
“I will now take the time to rest and recover, before making any further comments in addition to this,” the 34-year-old said in a statement after the court rejected his case.
“I am extremely disappointed with the court’s decision to reject my application for judicial review of the Minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open,” he said.
“I respect the court’s decision and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in connection with my departure from the country.”
Djokovic had appealed to Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s use of discretionary powers to cancel his visa on the grounds that he was a threat to public order because his presence would encourage anti-vaccination in the midst of Australia’s worst outbreak of the virus.
Chief Justice James Allsop said the federal court’s ruling was based on the legality and legality of the minister’s decision in connection with the three grounds of appeal filed by Djokovic’s team.
“It is not part of the court’s function to decide on the benefits or wisdom of the decision,” Allsop said, adding that the decision was unanimous among the three judges. Full justification for the decision will be released in the coming days, he said.
It was not immediately clear when the government would try to oust Djokovic.
The verdict concludes a roller coaster 10 days during which the world’s top tennis player was arrested by immigration authorities, released and imprisoned again ahead of a tournament starting on Monday.
The Serbian master was escorted to his law firm by immigration officials to attend the virtual court hearing on Sunday morning, after spending Saturday night in an immigration prison hotel.
Djokovic had been granted a visa to enter Australia, on the grounds that a Covid-19 infection on December 16 was the basis for a medical exemption from Australia’s vaccination requirements to play in the Open. The exception was organized by Tennis Australia.
That exception sparked widespread anger in Australia, which has undergone some of the world’s toughest Covid-19 locks and where more than 90 percent of adults are vaccinated. The government said that a new infection alone did not meet its standards for an exemption.
The Djokovic visa saga has dominated headlines globally for more than a week and has fueled the fierce debate over the rights of those who choose to remain unvaccinated as governments take stronger action to protect their people from the pandemic.
( Jowhar with REUTERS)
