Djokovic loses deportation appeal in Australia

If you lie to immigration in ANY country you should expect trouble. It’s really simple.

Larr Flint

First of all, Australia gives him a medical exemption to have the possibility to play, and then arrest him.

No, he didn't get a medical exemption from Australia.

Rob Nads

There is no public health basis for not allowing him in. 

Yes there is: he isn't vaccinated. Australia doesn't want unvaccinated people entering the country endangering their people.

I love the thought process, Tennis match-no vaccination- lie on official forms- break the rules- questioned and suddenly Aust=China? Aust=Racist? How about calming down, laws were broken, well publicised laws. It’s called due process and it applies to all even Hollywood actors, and Tennis stars. All.

Australian draconian immigration and visa system is bias, racist and discriminative

you have no idea what you’re talking about !

In 2020, there were over 7.6 million migrants living in Australia. Nearly every single country from around the world was represented in Australia's population in 2020.

There is always next year. 

He won't be allowed back in unvaxxed and he knows it. This is his last chance to win the AO if he is allowed to play.

It’s baffling that the people who usually complain about athletes making statements and illegal immigration now see Djokovic as some kind of hero.

John-San

Like this recent law. Having reach the percent fully vaccinated of 95%...

Fully vaccinated rate in Australia is 78% not 95%.

Rob Nads

Yes there is: he isn't vaccinated. Australia doesn't want unvaccinated people entering the country endangering their people.

Please, a little common sense. There are already around 100,000 new cases being reported per day

Exactly, so why would they allow unvaccinated people into Australia who will increase the infection rate? Common sense, really.

It's really quite a straight forward matter.

Djokovic attempted to deceive Australian immigration authorities by endorsing a falsified visa declaration. Were any one of us to do that, we would most certainly be denied entry and subjected to removal. Individuals such as Djokovic have an even greater responsibility to demonstrate integrit. So, it's back to his dentention center and on with whatever appeal his overpriced lawyers can cobble together on short notice. Some will see him as a fighter. I see him as a spoiled brat with diminished integrity and a heightened sense of entitlement. Our universities are full of them!

Djokovic, have your appeal but know this for certain: you'll be packing your bags again and soon -- persona non grata!

Djokovic never intended to be vaccinated and is just using his December positive result as an excuse thinking he can be exempted from AUS immigration rules regarding vaccinations. Him lying about his trips abroad the last weeks before entering AUS also raises red flags.

He made his choice of not getting the jabs and must face the consequences like every other individuals that refuses vaccinations. Him being world no. 1 tennis player and 20time grandslam champion doesnt make him exempted from the rules set by governments.

Ok for his supporters.

If you gave false information to Australia immigration ( or any other country's immigration) you would be facing deportation and refused entry.

His poor excuses that it was his manager checking the wrong box, then he just forgot to tell about his positive covid then he forgot to list the countries he was in prior, etc..

Are just that excuses.

Read the warnings on those immigration forms.

They are a legal declaration he signed stating the information is the truth.

So ask yourselves if you made the same supposed "errors"not one but multiple would you be granted entry?

The answer is no, oh and if you are a citizen of the country, you will be granted entry but run the chance of being fined or prosecuted for handing in a false declaration. ( Yes read the warnings)

Rob Nads

Exactly, so why would they allow unvaccinated people into Australia who will increase the infection rate?

a. It's already endemic,

No it isn't.

b. Vaccination doesnt stop infection

It reduces the infection rate and also the hospitalization rate.

Djokovic has been booted. Ridiculous saga, shouldn't have been allowed to set foot in Australia at all. No one comes out looking good, but Djokovic got what he deserved.

It's official - he's gone.

Game, Set, Match.

This is and always has been about politics NOT public health.

It isn’t about politics and it’s only marginally about public health.

It’s about the law.

Novak fought the law, and the law won.

Now just send him home and let him watch the Open on Telly.

Throw em out! Throw em out

It was unanimous as well.

Australian Govt 6 6 6

Novak Djokovic 0 0 0

Djokovic never intended to be vaccinated and is just using his December positive result as an excuse thinking he can be exempted from AUS immigration rules regarding vaccinations.

How convenient he got 'infected' in December right before the AO. Another bonus is that we won't have to see him feign injury in the middle of his matches.

It’s baffling that the people who usually complain about athletes making statements and illegal immigration now see Djokovic as some kind of hero.

yeah why all those athletes took a stand again racism in the US, many were ready to criticize them,

now it about vaccination theyre make a tennis player a hero. LOL

Yesssssss!

Sven Asai

Who cares…

I'm pretty sure Novak does. I would say, I hope he learns something from theis, but I doubt that he will. Sad.

I don't know why he even bother. It seems to be such a hassle and waste of time. I would just pack up and go home to relax. Considered his skills and his wealth, missing one tournament won't effect him at all. There is always next year. This thing is held every year anyway. Is it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it?

Finally common sense is shown. Now the Aus Open can go ahead without this drama and with people who deserve to be there. Good luck to all the players, have a great tournament.

John,

Australian draconian bias racist Immigration polities(sic) and visa system

What particular policies are you referring to?

So many misinformed and naive comments in this thread. Comparing Australia to China is ridiculous.

Hwe was refused entry to Australia because he is not vaccinated and could not provide a legitimate medical exemption certificate. His first appeal was granted. However, he is no seen as a kind of martyr for the anti-vax crowd by boasting he is not vaccinated and allowed into Australia. It is highly unlikely his second appeal with be favorable for him.

Who cares…He still has got much more success and money than most of the people who were involved in throwing him out. He’ll soon smiles about that while most of them remain relatively poor and have to continue to fulfill their daily slavery from 9 to five and more.

LOL - don't cry son..

RobToday  01:52 pm JST

No, he didn't get a medical exemption from Australia.

He applied for medical exemption, 2 separate medical authorities in Australia examined and granted the exemption. With it he applied for a visa and was granted the visa by the federal government. So when he arrived they arrested him...... knuckle-dragging fascists!

An application that was granted based on his lies that were then exposed and that he has now admitted to.

Insane hero worship for this moron.

RobToday  05:42 pm JST

An application that was granted based on his lies

What lie(s) was that?

He lied about the travel he had been undertaking prior to arriving in Japan.

He lied about being COVID positive (or he was positive and ignored it by holding public functions and travelling with no mask)

He's admitted all this.

Your blind worship of Novak's god complex is quite irrational.

Novak must be regretting like hell trying to cheat his way in

Can't imagine the extent of what he had lost for not taking a lousy jab.

Supporters could say it was out of principle except it turns out no principles,just a common liar and a cheat who happened to be good at hitting a ball with a racket

This was coming. Not surprised in the least. Political suicide if he were allowed to stay.

It is disgusting, it is shameful and above all, it is so very, very sad.

Vast majority of people seems to laud the ruling though and happy about it

Doubtful he'll be able to get into the French Open either.

Sven Asai

I'm pretty sure Novak does. I would say, I hope he learns something from theis,…

Of course, he will, just avoiding from now such one tournament there and playing at another. lol

Yeah, right! If he's allowed, hell be back. ;-) I was thinking of things like: thinking of others before himself, not deliberately exposing others to Covid, not lying on immigration forms and getting vaccinated.

Australia is problematic for letting this lying conspiracy theorist enter in the first place.

But well done for finally kicking the parasite out.

He should be now arrested for breaking the rules in Serbia, but he'll probably be headed back to Monaco instead to be a public health danger there.

Novak Djokovic social media platform, sports celebrity has allowed an unprecedented means to circumvent border controls needed to combat a global pandemic.  

His deep pockets have afforded Djokovic to the best legal advice the refugees sharing the same hotel  

Novak Djokovic is the very definition of the celebrity activist.  It is time to hold Novak Djokovic fully accountable for his actions.

At the French Open, Wimbledon, US Open.

And the match goes to Australia with Love.

What a sad, appalling state of affairs that my government can have and use blanket, god-like power to evict someone with whose views it disagrees.

Lie on immigration forms anywhere, you wont get in. Simple as that. No-one has a right to get into any foreign country. You have to follow laws.

Good riddance, Djoker!

John-SanToday  05:30 pm JST

I guess you don't know much about immigration, professional accreditation regulations, in pretty much most countries. Your example you use to call Australia racist would apply to just about every country.

You should learn the laws and university accreditation before immigrating

Now, he's playing a match on a totally different court and it's Australia's serve.

One could say he played himself.

Khaos

This has nothing to do with public health. Do you really think tennis players, who don't carry the virus, are a public threat? 

Yes.

Based on today's ruling it is now official: my former country of Australia now essentially deports people based on the raising of any questions that contradict the enforced narrative that the government want you to believe.

It is disgusting, it is shameful and above all, it is so very, very sad.

They deport people based on presenting false information to immigration, just like, yes you guessed it, every other country on Earth. That’s official, it’s on documents and everything.

Actually, if they let Novak stay, then they could have truly been a laughingstock because a dumb guy would have made afool out of them

They just waited for him to get on Australian territory in order to turn him into a sacrifice for their political agenda.

Nonsense

Sorry, Novak Djokovi turned Open 2022, 110th edition of the Australian Open into a personal anti vax crusade.

A shameful ideology that unintentionally or otherwise makes a mockery to the sacrifices the people of Australia and Government have had to endure.

This whole ghastly media fiasco has been all of Novak Djokovi own making and he will have to sooner or later, take full responsibility.

John-San

90% of Australian wanted Djokovic deported. 5 % of Australian chose to be non vaccinated did not want Djokovic deported. That leave 5% who are vaccinated did not want want Djokovic deported.

You have your numbers wrong. Australia is only 78% vaccinated.

John-SanToday 07:19 pm JST

Policies ? How are these policies of the Morrison Government, attempting to cover up rape in Parliament. Deceived and lied to the French (Was a Allies) Government, issuing dodgy visas ( not checking visa details) allowing alien to pass borders control ( allowing Djokovic to board the direct flight to Australia ) caught out braking border control rules (Morrison went home from Canberra to Sydney on Father’s Day) if Australia had change of Government the only thing that would change would be covering up rape in Parliament.

Nothing in that word salad identifies any racist or biased policies in Australian immigration or visa policies.

He is now under investigation in 2 other countries one of which is his own Serbia for breaking covid positive isolation regulations and Spain for entering the country with being vaccinated and covid positive..

And for those that don't know, Serbia isn't part of the EU so his travel within the EU may be problematic, also under most developed countries being deported from one country may bar you from entering another, ( ex. Being deported from the USA will get you barred from entering Canada and vise versa without prior exemption.) So now having been deported from Australia he will have to put that on all applications upon entering another country and risks having to get special permission each time.

The whole trial was a pig circus. It was never about public health.

Was a fun circus though, too bad they're sending the clown home

If Nadal wins the AO, Nole will have to win 2 of the 3 (2 if he's banned from the French) remaining majors this year to overtake him - suddenly what looked like a certainty for him this year might only be possible next year, or not at all.

He should sue TA - they are the ones who gave him false information, and they are the ones who despite being told (including being sent multiple letters in NOVEMBER) by the federal government, that Djokovic would not be allowed in, ignored those communications. It's not a surprise that the head of TA today cancelled an interview at the last minute with ABC.

Regardless where you stand on the issue, I guess most can agree that the tyrannical Australian government is an utter joke and laughing stock of the world right now.

Seems unlikely.

If ever there was a chance of that happening Novak himself may have saved them from that predicament coz it's at Novak that people are laughing right now

He knew the risks before flying to Australia Australia especially Melbourne the most lockdown city in the world ,no player is bigger than tennis rafa , roger ' borg laver etc he will now return home with his tail between his legs and will have to wait for that 21st gs title .

Vast majority of people seems to laud the ruling though and happy about it

This is true. A sad indictement on Australia. The majority of the people have been Gaslit by the government and media, and are spiteful towards anyone capable of rational thought who challenges the authoritarian dictatorship.

If vast majority of people are happy about what Australia did that's not an indictment but the opposite.

And Australia welcomes rational people, that's why kicked out novak

This may not be the last time he'll face this issue

It's still months away --so who knows what the Covid rules would be by then-- but the city like the US Open in NYC has similar rules right now. Unless vaccinated with 1 shot, NYC doesn't even allow one of the best NBA players (Kyrie Irving) to practice or play at his home team Brooklyn Nets who are top title contenders (he can only play outside NYC and Canada)

They don't care if it's a top player or a top team, so Novak's top ranking also won't get him around the rules - if the rules are the same at Sept 2022

Celebrity athletes should be held to the same level of law enforcement as everyone else. Bravo to Australia for not caving to all the media pressure.

Djokovic ran into the limits of fame and wealth. Remember, another player, who hadn't lied about traveling on her entry declaration, who had obeyed the isolation rules after testing positive, who was also given an exemption by the provincial government and the organizers of the Australian Open tennis tournament held in that province was tracked down by the border agency and informed that the provincial exemption did not constitute a federal exemption required for legal entry to Australia, and accepted that the rules applied to her despite her status as a former champion and left.

Djokovic figured otherwise and used a team of lawyers to try, and while they went to pretty extreme efforts, the reality was that while normally that level of fame and wealth and sense of privelege would have succeeded, in this case the costs of letting it succeed was too high.

Regardless of what side of the fence you sit, God help you if you are not disturbed by the dangerous precedent that this sets.

Speak for yourself. Another slippery slope.

Regardless where you stand on the issue, I guess most can agree that the tyrannical Australian government is an utter joke and laughing stock of the world right now.

Another nope.

Regardless where you stand you must agree with my minority opinion? That’s not how it works

.....refugees sharing the same hotel could only dream of

I heard the govt would have let him off the hook if he didn't admit to the error in his application.

Admitting to it forced their hand, once it was official there was nothing they could do but enforce the rule.

So what are the policies?

I'm a bit baffled by how these events unfolded. I mean why did the Australian government grant him a medical exemption, giving him the all-clear to fly into Australia only to then have Border Control overturn it? Didn't this first decision get communicated to all relevant parties? I kind of feel bad for the guy because it sounds like he was told one thing and then received something else upon arrival. A right bloody mess if you ask me.

Regardless where you stand on the issue, I guess most can agree that the tyrannical Australian government is an utter joke and laughing stock of the world right now.

They deport people based on presenting false information to immigration, just like, yes you guessed it, every other country on Earth. That’s official, it’s on documents and everything.

No old son, the reason for the revocation of Djokovic’s visa and subsequent deportation is, officially, because "his (Novak's) presence in Australia may foster anti-vaccination sentiment leading to other unvaccinated persons refusing to become vaccinated, other unvaccinated persons being reinforced in their existing view not to become vaccinated, and/or a reduction in the uptake of booster vaccines." This was the exact reasoning given by Alex Hawke which was accepted by the judge and led to today's ruling.

Regardless of what side of the fence you sit, God help you if you are not disturbed by the dangerous precedent that this sets.

He lied about his travel, so for that it was right to deport him. Many Australians didn’t want him there. However, the vax free are no more of a danger than the vaxed. From news articles I have read, it seems to be the vaxed that are spreading this thing.

Not my own comment taken from someone else from the Age but sum up the situation well with situation and case today extremely well………..

Give us someone to loathe and we'll demand his deportation. How dare he......

We make a fuss about an unvaccinated tennis player, when 1 in 9 on our streets are not vaccinated.

We have an indigenous population with the worst health outcomes on the planet and we demand a tennis player be pushed out.

We have one of the highest contributions to climate change per capita on the planet, and still we want a tennis player pushed.

Our reef is as white as our foreign policy and still we want a freakin tennis player out.

The wealth gap in this country is beyond ridiculous, and there goes another lawyer into court to get rid of that rogue tennis player

The arts have collapsed under this government, but if only we could get rid of that tennis player.

COVID is rampant everywhere. Our rates of new infection are now higher than anywhere else. It's not our government's fault, or our lack of personal responsibility. It's that darn tennis player.

You know that as a nation we watch a lot of sport. We should all know when we are being played, and we are being played.

What a sad, appalling state of affairs that my government can have and use blanket, god-like power to evict someone with whose views it disagrees.

Policies ? How are these policies of the Morrison Government, attempting to cover up rape in Parliament. Deceived and lied to the French (Was a Allies) Government, issuing dodgy visas ( not checking visa details) allowing alien to pass borders control ( allowing Djokovic to board the direct flight to Australia ) caught out braking border control rules (Morrison went home from Canberra to Sydney on Father’s Day) if Australia had change of Government the only thing that would change would be covering up rape in Parliament.

An application that was granted based on his lies

What lie(s) was that?

I'm pretty sure Novak does. I would say, I hope he learns something from theis,…

Of course, he will, just avoiding from now such one tournament there and playing at another. lol

This has nothing to do with public health. Do you really think tennis players, who don't carry the virus, are a public threat? While being on a sport visa, confined to the event's territory? The fact is, they shouldn't have allowed him on the plane if his visa was invalid. They just waited for him to get on Australian territory in order to turn him into a sacrifice for their political agenda.

Over age 16 fully vaccinated 95% the page you got your data hasn’t be up dated since November.

Based on today's ruling it is now official: my former country of Australia now essentially deports people based on the raising of any questions that contradict the enforced narrative that the government want you to believe.

It is disgusting, it is shameful and above all, it is so very, very sad.

Just seems like a really petty, vindictive decision at this point. Nothing to do with protecting Australians and everything to do with politics and optics. This whole saga will do nothing except harden the attitudes of the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists.

Medvac policy People arriving by sea policy. backpacker visas, Farm Labour visas.

Yes there is: he isn't vaccinated. Australia doesn't want unvaccinated people entering the country endangering their people.

Please, a little common sense. There are already around 100,000 new cases being reported per day (presumably many more actual infections), so that argument is not relevant.

Politicians of both parties, old and new, are responsible for the Australian draconian immigration and visa system. It a bias, racist and discriminative. Like this recent law. Having reach the percent fully vaccinated of 95% the target temporary restriction were lifted allowing non vaccinated to back to normal life, no mask on QRing. Yet non vaccinated people are not allow enter. That the law from 15 Dec. so you have 5 % of the population getting around Australia un vaccinated. Like I stated Australian Immigration system is bias and discriminative base even with this recent by law. Both political parties are responsible for this system and not opposed by the majority of Aussie bogans. I really hate to state this but this is the true face of Australia.

The Health Department advised that Djokovic was a “low” risk of transmitting COVID-19 and a “very low” risk of transmitting the disease at the Australian Open.

then let him play. The “science” not “the politics”.

90% of Australian wanted Djokovic deported. 5 % of Australian chose to be non vaccinated did not want Djokovic deported. That leave 5% who are vaccinated did not want want Djokovic deported. You can see by the percentage that Australian draconian bias racist Immigration polities and visa system will never change. Not even a change of Government will change it. The only reason why 90% Australian allow immigration is they need low level laborers to do the work that they deem beneath them. Like Indian immigrates collect shopping trolleys in car parks because locals refuse to return them to the trolley bay. They have Pacific Inland and backpacks do farm labour. Then complain about no produce on the shelves. I met a Iranian with a PHD in Arg working in a school canteen. Because his talent was obtained over sea is not recognisied and never will be. This is just a small example but you can gauge what attitude 90% of Australian have about immigration.

The whole trial was a pig circus. It was never about public health.

At least it opened the eye to many more people across the globe that the whole Covid

BS is just a political thing.

All the best to Mr Djokovic!

Vast majority of people seems to laud the ruling though and happy about it

This is true. A sad indictement on Australia. The majority of the people have been Gaslit by the government and media, and are spiteful towards anyone capable of rational thought who challenges the authoritarian dictatorship.

Australia is a tyranny. No more major international sporting events in Australia!

This may be a blessing in disguise if it means international sporting events in Australia are cancelled permanently. It's largely up to the major sponsors who are mainly in China.

Well, I never liked Australian Open, and have no interest in going there for a trip so I don't care that much.

Exactly, so why would they allow unvaccinated people into Australia who will increase the infection rate?

a. It's already endemic, b. Vaccination doesnt stop infection

Shameful Australia.

Who cares…He still has got much more success and money than most of the people who were involved in throwing him out. He’ll soon smiles about that while most of them remain relatively poor and have to continue to fulfill their daily slavery from 9 to five and more.

Australians govt is bias and racist to say the least!

No, it's not an issue of race. The govt fully intends to resume opening the floodgates to migrants from the third world ASAP in order to suppress wages and keep the ponzi economy afloat. This is purely an issue of political point-scoring. Morrison thought he was onto a winner, based on opinion polls - it's as simple as that.

No, he didn't get a medical exemption from Australia.

He applied for medical exemption, 2 separate medical authorities in Australia examined and granted the exemption. With it he applied for a visa and was granted the visa by the federal government. So when he arrived they arrested him...... knuckle-dragging fascists!

CCP China: "We're going to show the world what brownshirt jackboot thug tyranny looks like in the 21st century!!

Australia: "Hold my beer!"

There is no public health basis for not allowing him in. It's purely political point-scoring designed to win over the vindictive Australian public who express shallow, nonsensical views.

Australians govt is bias and racist to say the least!

Australia is a tyranny. No more major international sporting events in Australia!