The Australian government has cancelled the visa of tennis star Novak Djokovic, who was held at Melbourne airport for over five hours upon arrival on Wednesday night, just days before the Australian Open.
The decision comes after Djokovic claimed to have an exemption to compete in the event despite COVID-19 vaccination border entry requirements.
Djokovic arrived at Melbourne Airport at 11.20 p.m. on Wednesday night and was detained by Australian Border Force (ABF) over concerns about his visa.
“Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the decision came after Djokovic’s exemption, provided by the Victorian state government, was reviewed by federal authorities.
“It is a matter for him whether he wishes to appeal, but if a visa is cancelled, somebody will have to leave the country,” Hunt told the Seven Network.
However, overnight Victoria’s Acting Sports Minister Jaala Pulford said the state would not sponsor the tennis star’s visa.
“We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.”
Pulford said visa approvals were a matter for the federal government, while medical exemptions were a matter for doctors.
Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said no one was above Australia’s border entry rules.
Since Dec. 15, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can arrive in Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption and can travel to eligible states and territories without having to quarantine.
But if a person is not vaccinated, they must provide proof they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or be turned away.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews on Wednesday warned that no tennis players competing at the Australian Open would be afforded special treatment.
Meanwhile, before the visa cancellation, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucichas described Djokovic’s treatment as “harassment” and called for it to end.
“I told our Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him and that our bodies are doing everything to see that the harassment of the world’s best tennis player is brought to an end immediately,” the statement said.