Australia has cancelled Novak Djokovic’s visa for a second time in a sensational new attempt to deport the unvaccinated tennis superstar Friday.
The country’s conservative government, defeated once in the courts, invoked extraordinary executive powers to again rip up the 34-year-old Serbian’s visa on public interest grounds. The move comes just three days before the Australian Open starts, putting Djokovic’s dream of a record 21st Grand Slam in serious doubt.
Djokovic, an avowed Covid-19 vaccine sceptic, is the tournament’s top seed and had been practising on the Melbourne Park courts just before Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s bombshell decision was announced.
The government is “firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Hawke said in a statement.
He cited “health and good order grounds” for the decision and said “it was in the public interest to do so”. Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed the decision: “Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected.”
The visa cancellation effectively means the world’s number one tennis player would be barred from obtaining a new Australian visa for three years, except under exceptional circumstances.
But the Australian judge who blocked Djokovic’s deportation first time round, scheduled an emergency hearing late Friday, indicating the tennis ace will again challenge the decision.
Top immigration lawyer, Christopher Levingston, said Djokovic could apply to the Federal Court for an injunction to stay the minister’s decision.
“Djokovic is extremely well-resourced and has a competent team around him. He can either stay and fight or he can leave,” Levingston said.
Fahad is an entrepreneur and a marketing enthusiast who loves to write on trending topics. He loves travelling & playing tennis is what he does in his leisure time. He tweets @fahad164.
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