Immigration Minister used discretionary powers to cancel Novak’s visa
On Friday, The Australian government cancelled men's tennis World No.1 Novak Djokovic's visa for the second time, thus putting his participation in the 2022 Australian Open under doubt.
On Monday, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used his discretionary powers to again cancel Djokovic's visa, after a court quashed an earlier revocation and released him from immigration detention.
Hawke said in a statement, "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."
Australia PM Scott Morrison had said that the government's position on Djokovic has not changed yet. His comments had come after the draw for the Australian Open was delayed without any explanation.
Djokovic was included in the draw, which eventually took place after Morrison's briefing, drawing unseeded fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic for his opening round match.
Djokovic, a vaccine sceptic, fuelled widespread anger in Australia last week when he announced that he was heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open with a medical exemption to requirements for visitors to be inoculated against COVID-19.
When Djokovic arrived, Australian Border Force officials decided his exemption was invalid and he was held alongside asylum-seekers at an immigration detention hotel for several days.
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