Novak Djokovic could be deported from Australia as government prepares case to chuck him out
Australian government prepares case to DEPORT Novak Djokovic as investigation hones in on ‘inconsistencies’ in his statement – amid concern letting him stay sets a ‘dangerous precedent’
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The Australian Federal Government is tonight still preparing paperwork to try and boot Novak Djokovic out of the country, with sources warning letting him stay would set a ‘dangerous precedent’.
It is understood the government is willing to receive harsh backlash internationally over the issue in order to maintain its ‘tough on Covid’ border stance.
The world no. 1 was originally set to be given the boot after being detained at an immigration hotel over the weekend but won a battle in the Federal Circuit Court to remain in the country and chase his 10th Australian Open title.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is set to hand down his decision on Thursday with bureaucrats from the Department of Home Affairs’ investigating inconsistencies in the tennis star’s story.
Djokovic, who is a vaccine sceptic, attempted to address a number of concerns about the situation in a lengthy statement posted to his Instagram page on Wednesday but several questions still remain.
Of most concern to Australian officials is Djokovic’s admitted breach of Serbia’s isolation rules after learning he had tested positive and the false information he provided on his travel entry form which he later blamed on his agent.
Lingering mystery also surrounds when the 20-time Grand Slam winner actually learned he had Covid with a German publication sowing doubt on the timing of his PCR test after QR Code information was uncovered that ‘did not match up’.
Pictured: Novak Djokovic during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, Australia January 11, 2022
Novak Djokovic with his wife Jelena. He has hit out at ‘misinformation’ over claims he tested positive to Covid and then attended an event with children
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The 34-year-old disclosed he had attended an event with children while he was Covid positive, but claimed he didn’t know he was infected until afterwards.
Djokovic has been the subject of intense scrutiny for presenting awards to kids at a at the event in Belgrade on December 17 – a day after recording a positive result for the virus.
The Serbian maintained he was not aware of his diagnosis until shortly after but did admit to conducting an in-person interview with French newspaper L’Équipe knowing he was positive.
He called his decision to go ahead with the Q and A an ‘error in judgement’ but said he maintained social distancing and wore a mask.
Under Serbian law such a breach can carry a maximum sentence of three years behind bars.
The tennis ace is also in hot water for various inconsistencies on his Australian declaration form.
Djokovic falsely said he had not travelled to any in the 14 days prior to arriving in Melbourne, but it was later revealed he had been in Spain.
Novak Djokovic (pictured at a training session on Wednesday) has addressed questions about his positive Covid test in mid-December
‘This was submitted by my support team on my behalf – as I told immigration officials on my arrival,’ he said.
‘My agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel before coming to Australia.’
Djokovic said the mistake was a ‘human error’ and in a pandemic ‘sometimes these mistakes can occur’.
‘Today, my team has provided additional information to the Australian government to clarify this matter,’ he said.
That ‘additional information’ is currently being assessed by Immigration Minister Hawke who is weighing up whether to us his discretional powers to deport the tennis great.
Ministers and advisors within the Morrison government are growing apprehensive about the diplomatic fallout internationally, but at the same time many feel failing to act would will bring embarrassment on the homefront and undermine Australia’s strong stance on borders as Covid cases continue to spiral.
Either way, policymakers do not want the scandal to drag on any further and have called on Mr Hawke to make the call as soon as possible.
The Immigration Minister however has quietly rejected their demands and is in the process of examining all of Djokovic’s submissions.
‘Mr Djokovic’s lawyers have recently provided lengthy further submissions and supporting documentation said to be relevant to the possible cancellation of his visa,’ a spokesman for Minister Hawke said.
‘Naturally, this will affect the timeframe for a decision.’
The government has doubts about when Djokovic actually became infected after the German publication Der Spiegel uncovered timestamps that allegedly do not match.
Unvaccinated travellers are banned from Australia unless they have a valid exemption.
Djokovic wrote in a sworn court affidavit said he was ‘tested and diagnosed’ for Covid on December 16 – contradicting his claim he was told of his positive result on the 17th after attending the event with children in Serbia.
The penalty for providing false information to to the Federal Circuit Court under the Crimes Act can carry a maximum jail sentence of five years.
But the inconsistencies don’t stop there.
The QR code for his positive test handed over to Border Force agents appears to show it is timestamped December 26 – a cut-off date that would make him ineligible to enter Australia.
Der Spiegel also revealed that when they scanned the December 16 result from the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, it was ‘negative’.
But one hour later the QR code was ‘positive’.
