Tennis star Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia dramatically revoked on his arrival in Melbourne.
The world number one was held in the city’s airport for several hours before border officials announced he had not met entry rules and would be deported.
Djokovic was then taken to a government detention hotel. His lawyers have launched an urgent appeal in court.
It follows a massive backlash over a vaccine exemption Djokovic said he got to play in the Australian Open.
The Serbian player has not spoken about his vaccination status, but last year he said he was “opposed to vaccination”.
Tournament organisers said Djokovic’s medical exemption had been granted by two independent medical panels organised by Tennis Australia and Victoria state.
But border officials said he had “failed to provide appropriate evidence” for entry after arriving on Wednesday from Dubai.
“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,” the Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison denied Djokovic was being singled out and said no-one was above the country’s rules. But he added that Djokovic’s stance on vaccination had drawn attention.
“When you get people making public statements – of what they say they have, and what they are going to do, and what their claims are – well they draw significant attention to themselves,” Mr Morrison told reporters.
Mr Morrison said the ABF had previously advised Tennis Australia on visa expectations.
Though Djokovic’s reason for an exemption has not been disclosed, Mr Morrison said contracting Covid in the past six months was not among federal criteria for one.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reported that two other people were now having their medical exemptions reviewed.
The Federal Circuit Court has adjourned Djokovic’s legal challenge until 18:00 local time (07:00 GMT), after two brief administrative hearings.
Djokovic is now being held at a hotel in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton which is used for immigration detention. The facility has been the site of Covid-19 outbreaks and a recent fire.
Outside the hotel, supporters of Djokovic told the BBC they were angry at his treatment.
“It’s an international scandal and the world is watching,” one woman, identified only as Jelena, echoed outrage in her native Serbian.
Djokovic’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, said his son had been held in a room guarded by police at the airport. “This is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world,” he said in a statement released to the media.
Media caption,
President Aleksandar Vucic said the star was a victim of “harassment” and said that “the whole of Serbia” supported him.
Mr Morrison denied the visa cancellation was because of “any particular position in relation to Serbia”, describing the nation as “a good friend of Australia”.
Australia is seeing tens of thousands of Covid-19 cases for the first time after enduring some of the world’s strictest restrictions. More than 90% of Australia’s over-16 population is fully vaccinated, but some people still cannot travel interstate or globally because of current measures.
Many Australians had previously accused the government ofallowing the rich and famous to do as they pleasewhile ordinary people remained separated from sick and dying loved ones.
News of Djokovic’s exemption triggered an overwhelmingly angry response in Australia.
Former Australian Open tournament director Paul McNamee told local media the visa U-turn was unprecedented, saying it “smells” of politics.
The Australian Open begins on 17 January in Melbourne. Djokovic has previously won the tournament nine times.
“Rules are rules,” the PM says, about Novak Djokovic being deported.
Scott Morrison is back to talking tough but so far he hasn’t explained or answered the glaring questions at the heart of this story.
What is the issue with Djokovic’s visa? What’s the medical reason for his exemption?
And why had he been given the green light to fly and take part in the Australian Open if there are issues with his visa application? Big enough issues, it seems, for the player to get deported.
Remember, while his vaccine exemption has caused a great deal of anger among Australians – who for months now have been urged to get the jab – Djokovic is not the only player who was granted one.
Tennis Australia said that a handful of the 26 athletes who applied were given an exemption. Who are they? Why are their cases different from Djokovic’s?
There also seems to be a clear disconnect between federal and state government decisions.
The state of Victoria had approved Djokovic to compete in a tournament he’s dominated and to defend his title.
On Wednesday, Mr Morrison said it was Victoria’s decision to make. But less than a day later he has changed course to say no-one is above the rules.
This decision has sparked anger overseas but the PM is hoping the decision will go down well among Australians.
Mr Morrison has been under immense political pressure over his government’s handling of the Omicron variant, amid rocketing numbers of cases and chaos at testing clinics. All with a looming election in the next few months.
Source: BBC News