DPA
The Australian government has cancelled the visa of tennis star Novak Djokovic, authorities confirmed on Thursday, but the world number one remains in Melbourne as his lawyers fight his deportation.
The controversy comes with the Australian Open, the first tennis grand slam tournament of the year, beginning in Melbourne on January 17.
Defending champion Djokovic was detained at a Melbourne airport following his arrival in Australia on Wednesday after the Australian Border Force (ABF) raised concerns over his entry visa.
The Serbian had received a Covid-19 vaccination exemption from tournament organizers, allowing him to compete in the event, but that was not enough for airport officials.
“The ABF can confirm that Mr Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently cancelled,” the ABF said in a statement.
“Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia.”
Djokovic, who has consistently declined to reveal his vaccination status, was told he would have to leave Australia on Thursday.
But his lawyers sought an appeal and a judge said a decision would not come before Friday, news agency AAP reported, meaning Djokovic was set to stay the night in a special hotel in Melbourne. Media reports said the case could even last until Monday.
“I need to know a little more than I presently do about the conditions of the applicant,” Judge Anthony Kelly said, according to AAP, confessing to knowing little about tennis and asking details about the Australian Open dates.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for the court to ask, as an open question, whether the particular hotel in which the applicant is staying or may be able to stay might have available to him tennis practising facilities.”
The furore seems to revolve around confusion between the state Victorian government, which issued his vaccination exemption, and the federal authorities as well as the specific documents Djokovic brought.
“Mr Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a tweet earlier on Thursday.
“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.”
Earlier this week, the tournament organizers had ended weeks of uncertainty by saying the nine-times champion would take part thanks to an exemption.
“Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts,” a statement said.
“One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) guidelines.”
News of the exemption to strict vaccination rules has sparked a huge backlash in Australia.
Djokovic’s exemption had caused “anger and confusion,” broadcaster ABC said while the Herald Sun newspaper said citizens felt the ruling was a “slap in the face to everyone in Australia.”
Tournament director Craig Tiley has defended the decision and their has been an angry response in Serbia to Djokovic’s treatment.
The player’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, told the Internet portal B92 that his son had earlier been held in a guarded room and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram he had spoken to Djokovic and that “the whole of Serbia” supported their hero.
Djokovic said last year he was opposed to forced vaccination.
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