Asif Abbasi
The defending champion of the Australian Open Tennis Tournament, 34 years old Serbian guy Novak Djokovic has announced to withdraw from the tournament, as the Australian immigration has revoked his visa once again.
Minister Alex Hawke said that he had exercised his broad powers under section 133C (3) of the Migration Act to cancel Djokovic’s visa “on health and good order grounds” basis that it was in the public interest to do so. “In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Djokovic.”
“The Morrison government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Judge Anthony Kelly, who overturned the first cancellation of Djokovic’s visa on Monday earlier this week, will again preside over the case.
He also faces 3 year automatic ban if he denied visa again. But immigration minister can wave off using his powers. Djokovic arrived in Melbourne on January 5 and promptly had his visa canceled for entering the country without a valid reason why he couldn't be vaccinated against Covid-19.
He spent several nights in a detention hotel in Melbourne, which also houses dozens of refugees.
His lawyers challenged the decision and won the legal battle on Monday, on the basis Djokovic's had covid on December 16 after attending kids’ tennis tournament. But questions have been raised on Djokovic’s behavior after testing positive for Covid-19 on December 16 as he had attended some events after 16 December and on his previous visa application that he had not visited in last 14 days to any country.
