The Serb vigorously defended his arguments before the Border Forces, which lasted for more than seven hours in the early hours of Thursday.
[…] They have allowed me to have the medical exemption so as not to get vaccinated against Covid. I applied for it and they approved it. I don’t know what else you want me to tell you. I came here because I have these documents, otherwise I would not have been allowed to come. I really don’t understand the reason why you are not allowing me to enter your country.
The more than seven-hour interrogation, with some interruptions, which he faced at Melbourne Customs in the early morning of January 6, is now well under way. Novak Djokovic He kept his pulse without understanding what was happening, why, when he believed that the endorsement of the Australian Tennis Federation and the group of independent epidemiologists from the State of Victoria would be enough, he was rejected in the country where as of next Monday he intends to conquer his 10th Australian Open and 21st Grand Slam title.
The interrogation, which became known this Monday, once the magistrate Anthony Kelly I decided to allow him to continue in the country and be able to compete in the first major of the season, reveals the insurmountable plot clash between the Border Forces and the Serbian tennis player. The last word, however, is held by the Australian immigration minister, in application of section 113 C () of the Migration Act. Alex Hawke It has the power to deny Djokovic a visa and even to prevent him from entering the country for three years. Six days before the tournament begins, the nine-time champion is still in danger of being expelled from Australia.
Public health risk
There seems to be ground to consider canceling your GG-408 visa because you present a risk to the health, safety and good order of the Australian community or a sector of the Australian community, the customs officer objects. . Djokovic, what admits at the beginning of the interrogation that he is not vaccinated and that he passed the Covid on two occasions, the last one on December 16, 2021, presents the documents that prove it. But the dialectical dispute has just begun.
This letter of the medical exemption speaks mainly of a review of a group of the Australian Federation, it says nothing of the Federal Government, argues the person in charge of interviewing him once he has received the document with the plcet of the group of independent epidemiologists. The loop between the powers of the Federal Government and those of the state of Victoria is a constant. No, we have not received any mail from the Federal Government, admits the player, who apologizes on several occasions, without hesitating in defending his arguments.
“Well, I do not have the printed documents with me, but I can try to find them electronically, we sent an email to the panel of independent doctors that was selected by the Australian Federal Government,” explains the tennis player, who repeatedly stumbles, since the selection comes from the State of Victoria, while the interrogator lets him slide until minutes later Djokovic corrects himself. “Yes, I was probably wrong, It was not the Federal Government, but that of Victoria that selected the panel of independent doctors, who worked alongside the Australian Open. “
No time to claim
Judge Anthony Kelly He based his judgment on the fact that Djokovic was not granted the promised period to be able to present allegations to the withdrawal of his visa. At 5:42 a.m., he was told that he would have until 8.30 a.m., but at 7.42 a.m. you were informed of the cancellation. If you can, we’ll wait until eight so I can call the Australian Tennis Federation and we’ll try to figure it out. But now? They are all sleeping. […] I can call my agent right now. You have told me that I cannot communicate with anyone, no one knows what is happening, Djokovic defends himself in another moment of the dialogue with the Border Forces.
According to the judge, the Serb was not given time to consult other people and present arguments to explain why his visa should not be revoked. The judge stops at what he considers to be Djokovic’s helplessness. What else could this man have done?he wonders.
After hearing the allegations based on the 1958 Migration Act, the tennis player refused to sign the cancellation of his visa, arguing that he had provided sufficient documentation. I really dont understand how in your system you dont have the information that says that If you have contracted Covid and have tested positive in the last six months and have a sufficient amount of antibodies and a negative test, all of which I have tried, you are guaranteed to enter the country.
Djokovic left the Park Hotel in Melbourne, where he was held for four days. I want to stay and try to compete in Australia, he said, photographing himself satisfied with his team at the Rod Laver Arena headquarters. He has won the most important game of his life, said his mother, Diana, at the second press conference held in Belgrade with her husband, Srdjan, and his son George, in which they commented that Nole he had been mistreated. Novak did nothing against the law.
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