The Australian immigration minister has canceled the visa of unvaccinated no 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic for a second time ahead of the Australian Open.
The decision was made on the grounds of “health and good order” and “on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so, according to the Australian Immigration minister.
“Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act 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,” Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke announced the termination of Djokovic’s visa in a statement.
“In making my decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic,” Hawke wrote in the brief statement. “The Morrison government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s border, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Minister for Immigration has broad discretionary powers to cancel visas where it is in the public interest to do so, including relying on a health, safety or good order basis.
The decision not only threatens to have Djokovic deported but to potentially prohibit him from entering the country for three years, which would bar the world’s No. 1 ranked tennis player from competing in the Australian Open through 2024.
Djokovic arrived in Australia – despite being unvaccinated – to defend his Australian Open crown, but he had his visa revoked shortly after arriving in the country amid uncertainty over the vaccine exemptions that allowed him to enter.
The tennis star had been granted a medical exemption based on his claim of having contracted and recovered from the COVID-19 virus in mid-December, but questions have swirled around his account.
A judge on Monday reinstated Djokovic’s visa and ordered his release. However, immigration minister Alex Hawke said that he was still considering whether to use his personal powers to cancel the visa again and expel him from the country.
Djokovic admitted to submitting travel documents containing incorrect information to Australian immigration officials last week and to attend an interview and photoshoot in December after learning he was infected with COVID-19.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Djokovic described as a way to clear up “the continuing misinformation about my activities last month.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday defended Hawke’s decision as a move to protect the sacrifices Australians have made to keep deaths from the pandemic low, the economy strong and vaccination rates high.
“This is what the minister is doing in taking this action today,” he said in a statement. “Our strong border protection policies have kept Australians safe, prior to COVID and now during the pandemic.”
“Our strong border protection policies have kept Australians safe, prior to COVID and now during the pandemic, he added.
Due to the expected ongoing legal proceedings, I will be not be providing any further comment, Morrison said in the statement.
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