Damon Mcknight
In January 2022, Novak Djokovic flew to Melbourne, Australia, via Dubai on Emirates. However, upon arrival, his visa was revoked, and he was detained by Australian border officials. The revocation came amid public outrage over Djokovic's COVID-19 vaccine exemption and discrepancies in his visa application. Djokovic was held in a government quarantine hotel and faced deportation. The situation sparked reactions from various parties, including the Serbian President, who accused Australian officials of harassment. Ultimately, Djokovic's visa was cancelled, preventing his participation in the 2022 Australian Open, and he flew out of Australia to Dubai.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of travel | 5 January 2022 |
| Departure point | Unknown, travelled via Dubai |
| Destination | Melbourne, Australia |
| Airline | Emirates |
| Reason for travel | To participate in the Australian Open |
| Visa status | Rejected, revoked upon arrival |
| Reason for visa rejection | Discrepancies in the application form, failure to meet entry requirements for unvaccinated travellers |
| Political involvement | Australian officials claimed no political involvement, but the Serbian President accused them of "harassment" |
| Outcome | Djokovic was detained and deported from Australia |
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What You'll Learn
Novak Djokovic's visa was rejected by Australia
On 5 January 2022, Novak Djokovic flew to Melbourne, Australia, via Dubai on Emirates. However, upon arrival, the Australian Border Force detained him as they determined that he did not meet the entry requirements for an unvaccinated traveller.
Djokovic disclosed that a member of his support team incorrectly ticked a box on his application form, stating that he had not travelled abroad two weeks before leaving for Australia. However, he had been to Spain during that time. As a result, his visa was cancelled, and he was held in an immigration detention hotel for several days awaiting a court hearing.
On 10 January, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia ordered his release, ruling that the visa cancellation process undertaken by Australian border officials was flawed as they did not give Djokovic sufficient time to contact his lawyers and tennis authorities before his official interview.
However, on 14 January, Alex Hawke, Australia's Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs, exercised his powers under the Migration Act 1958 to cancel Djokovic's visa on "health and good order grounds, [as] it was in the public interest to do so". Djokovic applied for a judicial review, but three Federal Court of Australia judges unanimously dismissed his application on 16 January, preventing his participation in the 2022 Australian Open.
Djokovic accepted the ruling and flew out of Australia to Dubai that night. Due to the nature of his removal, he is now barred from returning to Australia for three years, although each visa application is reviewed on its merits.
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Djokovic was held by airport security and border force
Novak Djokovic, the world's number one tennis player, was held by airport security and border force after landing in Melbourne, Australia. He was questioned by Border Force agents for several hours and was guarded by police.
Djokovic had flown to Melbourne via Dubai on Emirates, ahead of the Australian Open, which was set to begin on 17 January 2022. However, upon arrival, his visa was revoked by Australian officials, and he was detained. The revocation came after public fury over the grant of a COVID-19 vaccine exemption for Djokovic. Local rules in Victoria required all travellers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the state. Those who were not vaccinated needed a medical exemption.
Djokovic was then held in a government quarantine hotel while a court decided whether he would be deported. On 10 January, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia ordered his release, ruling that the visa cancellation process undertaken by Australian border officials was flawed as they did not give Djokovic sufficient time to contact his lawyers and tennis authorities before his official interview.
On 14 January 2022, Alex Hawke, Australia's Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs, used his ministerial powers to cancel Djokovic's visa, citing "health and good order grounds" and the "public interest". Three Federal Court of Australia judges dismissed Djokovic's application for a judicial review, preventing his participation in the 2022 Australian Open. He flew out of Australia to Dubai that night and is now barred from returning to Australia for three years.
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He was guarded by police in a room
On 5 January 2022, Novak Djokovic flew to Melbourne, Australia, via Dubai on Emirates. However, upon arrival, he was detained by the Australian Border Force. He was held and questioned for several hours at Melbourne Airport, while his coach Goran Ivanisevic and other members of his entourage waited for news.
Djokovic's father claimed to Serbian media that his son was being kept in a room guarded by police. Indeed, Djokovic was guarded by police in a room as border officials revoked his visa and deemed that he did not meet the entry requirements for an unvaccinated traveller. He disclosed that a member of his support team ticked a box on his application form, stating that he had not travelled abroad two weeks before his arrival in Australia. However, this was untrue as he had been to Spain during that time.
Djokovic was then held in an immigration detention hotel for several days, awaiting a court hearing. On 10 January, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia ordered his release, ruling that the visa cancellation process undertaken by Australian border officials was flawed. They argued that the officials did not give Djokovic sufficient time to contact his lawyers and tennis authorities before his official interview.
Despite this, on 14 January, Alex Hawke, Australia's Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs, used his ministerial powers to cancel Djokovic's visa on "health and good order grounds". On 16 January, three Federal Court of Australia judges unanimously dismissed Djokovic's application for a judicial review, preventing his participation in the 2022 Australian Open. He accepted the ruling and flew out of Australia to Dubai that night.
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Djokovic was detained in a government quarantine hotel
Novak Djokovic, the world's number one tennis player, was detained in a government quarantine hotel in Melbourne after his visa was revoked upon arrival in Australia.
Djokovic flew to Melbourne via Dubai on Emirates, ahead of the 2022 Australian Open, which was set to begin on January 17. However, upon landing, he was held and questioned by Border Force agents for several hours. Djokovic's father claimed that his son was being kept in a room guarded by police.
The tennis star's visa was revoked due to discrepancies in his application, as well as public outrage over his COVID-19 vaccine exemption. Local rules in Melbourne required all travellers to be fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption. While Djokovic's vaccine status was not publicly known, he had expressed general anti-vaccine sentiments in the past.
Djokovic was held in an immigration detention hotel for several days, awaiting a court hearing. On January 10, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia ordered his release, ruling that the visa cancellation process was flawed as Djokovic was not given sufficient time to contact his lawyers. However, on January 14, Australia's Minister for Immigration exercised his powers to cancel Djokovic's visa again, citing "health and good order grounds" and "public interest."
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The tennis star was deported from Australia
The tennis star Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia after his visa was revoked upon arrival in Melbourne. Djokovic, who flew to Melbourne via Dubai, was detained by the Australian Border Force as he did not meet the entry requirements for an unvaccinated traveller. He disclosed that a member of his support team had ticked a box on his application form stating he had not travelled abroad two weeks before his arrival in Australia, but it emerged that he had been to Spain during that period.
After landing, Djokovic was held and questioned by Border Force agents for several hours at Melbourne Airport. He was guarded by police and taken to a government quarantine hotel while a court decided whether he would be deported. Local rules require all travellers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter the state of Victoria. Those who have not had the jab need a medical exemption, otherwise they will be turned away at the border.
Djokovic's visa was initially granted on 18 November 2021, but it was cancelled upon his arrival in Australia on 5 January 2022. On 10 January, a court ordered his release, ruling that the visa cancellation process undertaken by Australian border officials was flawed as they did not give Djokovic enough time to contact his lawyers and tennis authorities before his official interview. However, on 14 January, Alex Hawke, Australia's Minister for Immigration, exercised his powers to cancel Djokovic's visa on "health and good order grounds".
On 16 January, three Federal Court of Australia judges dismissed Djokovic's application for a judicial review, preventing his participation in the 2022 Australian Open. He accepted the ruling and flew out of Australia to Dubai that night. As a result of his removal under the Migration Act, he is now barred from returning to Australia for three years.
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Frequently asked questions
Djokovic flew to Melbourne, Australia via Dubai on Emirates.
Djokovic flew to Australia to participate in the Australian Open, which was set to begin on 17 January 2022.
No, Djokovic was not allowed to enter Australia. He was held and questioned by Border Force agents for several hours at Melbourne Airport and his visa was revoked.
His visa was revoked because he did not meet the entry requirements for an unvaccinated traveller. There was also public outrage over his COVID-19 vaccine exemption.
Djokovic was detained in a government quarantine hotel. On 10 January, a court ordered his release, ruling that the visa cancellation process undertaken by Australian border officials was flawed. However, on 14 January, Australia's Minister for Immigration exercised his powers to cancel Djokovic's visa on "health and good order grounds".
