Status: 01/14/2022 09:09 a.m
In the dispute over corona evidence, the Australian government has declared tennis player Djokovic’s visa invalid for the second time. He is also threatened with a three-year visa ban, said Australian Immigration Minister Hawke.
The Australian government has again canceled the entry visa of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in the dispute over corona evidence. Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke declared the visa invalid in a personal decision.
Hawke said he made the decision for health reasons. This was well justified and “in the public interest,” said the minister. Djokovic is also threatened with a three-year visa ban, Hawke said. Djokovic can appeal the decision in court.
Entry by special permit
Djokovic wants to take part as the defending champion at the Australian Open, one of the most important tennis tournaments in the world, which starts on Monday. The world number one, who was not vaccinated against the corona virus, traveled to Australia last week and referred to an exemption. However, the federal authorities had refused him entry. On the other hand, Djokovic had successfully taken legal action.
However, since the border officials had not given him the agreed time to clarify the matter, the court overturned the decision. However, the Department of Immigration said it was considering canceling the visa again.
Djokovic has been training normally since then and preparing for the Australian Open. He had already been drawn to the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic as an opponent for the first round. Djokovic’s participation in the Australian Open is not yet ruled out with the cancellation of the entry papers, as the 34-year-old can lodge further appeals.
Djokovic denies intentional misrepresentation
The case also became a severe stress test for the country’s politics, after Australia spent many months in tough lockdowns and many citizens of the country were not allowed to enter their home country for a long time because of the strict rules. Djokovic denied intentional misrepresentations and endangering other people, but admitted mistakes in dealing with his positive test result.
He primarily defended himself against two allegations via Instagram: he neither intentionally gave false information about his travel behavior in the 14 days before the flight to the host country of the Australian Open, nor did he have an event with him knowing his positive corona test in December Children visited and moved there without a mask. Djokovic described the “misinformation” that needed to be corrected as “hurting and upsetting to my family”.
Djokovic described the fact that his entry form incorrectly stated that he had not traveled in the 14 days before his flight to Australia as a “human error” by his agent, “which was certainly not intentional”.