Novak Djokovic’s visa cancelled by Australia Immigration Minister

Novak Djokovic’s visa to compete in the Australian Open has been cancelled.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner initially travelled to compete in January’s tournament with a medical exemption from having a COVID-19 vaccine, sparking widespread controversy.

However, Djokovic’s visa was initially cancelled upon arrival in Australia before being reinstated on appeal, allowing him to leave immigration detention after claiming that a positive test on December 16 granted him the exemption.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke still possessed the personal power to cancel Djokovic’s visa again, and the Serbian is now facing deportation after Hawke exercised his right to do so.

A statement read: “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.

“This decision followed orders by the Federal Circuit and Family Court on 10 January 2022, quashing a prior cancellation decision on procedural fairness grounds. In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr Djokovic.

“The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. I thank the officers of the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force who work every day to serve Australia’s interests in increasingly challenging operational environments.”