NB Bureau
Australia’s government cancelled Novak Djokovic’s visa for a second time Friday as it sought to deport the tennis superstar after he arrived in the country without a Covid-19 vaccine, media reported.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said he acted on “health and good order grounds’ to cancel the tennis;s star’s visa.
“Today I exercised my power… to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so,” the minister said in a statement.
According to the reports, Djokovic, will face deportation and would be barred from a new Australian visa for three years, except under certain circumstances.
The megastar flew into Melbourne airport on January 5 claiming a vaccine exemption because of a positive PCR test result on December 16. However Border agents rejected his exemption, tore up his visa and placed him in a notorious Melbourne detention centre where he spent four nights.
Later Djokovic won the legal battle in the court and was granted permission to remain the country.
The latest decision by Immigration Minister, cancelling his visa has put the Serbian world number one’s dream of a 10th Australian Open title and a record 21st Grand Slam in peril.
BBC quoting Former Australian Immigration Department deputy secretary Abul Rizvi reported that Djokovic would again face detention.
“Upon his visa being cancelled, Mr Djokovic must be taken into detention.
His lawyers are likely to seek judicial review and an interim order for him to be released on a bridging visa with work rights.
The former would take time to be decided. The court would need to decide the latter over the weekend to enable him to play in Aussie Open.
There is a strong chance the court would agree to releasing Mr Djokovic from detention.”
(With Inputs from Agencies)
