visa dispute
Djokovic does not have to be in deportation custody for the time being
Ene mene muh and out you are: Novak Djokovic is not allowed to stay in Australia after all
© Martin Keep / AFP
For the time being, the Australian government is refraining from taking Novak Djokovic into custody in a deportation hotel. This was announced by the immigration minister’s lawyers at a court hearing.
In the tug of war over the entry of tennis star Novak Djokovic to Australia, the lawyers of the world number one have applied for an injunction against his impending deportation. At an emergency hearing by the competent court on Friday, lawyer Nick Wood also demanded that his client not be taken into custody pending deportation during the proceedings. Australia had previously canceled the visa of the 34-year-old, who was not vaccinated against the corona virus, a second time; he is threatened with deportation and a three-year entry ban.
A government attorney said at the hearing the tennis star would not be deported until the judiciary had ruled on the case. Djokovic will also remain at large pending an immigration questioning scheduled for Saturday morning, government legal counsel Stephen Lloyd said.
Concerns about the lack of time before the start of the Australian Open
When the world number one, who had not been vaccinated against the corona virus, entered the country more than a week ago, the authorities had declared his visa invalid. The Serb entered the Australian Open with a medical exemption. However, the border officials had refused him entry because he could not present proof of corona vaccination and they did not recognize his special permit.
A judge granted an objection by the lawyers earlier in the week due to a procedural error, Djokovic was allowed to leave the deportation hotel. Since then he has been training in Melbourne for the upcoming tournament.
“We are very concerned about the time,” said lawyer Wood on Friday in view of the Australian Open, which begins on Monday and which the world’s best tennis player is in danger of missing. Djokovic wants to defend his title at the tournament and crown himself as the sole record holder with his 21st Grand Slam victory.