Immigration Minister still mulling Djokovic decision
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Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is still weighing up whether to use his discretionary powers to cancel the visa of world No.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic.
Hawke is still yet to make a decision on whether Djokovic should be deported after Monday’s decision by a federal court to overturn the tennis star’s visa cancellation.
In a statement, a spokesman for the minister said the situation surrounding the tennis star was being closely examined.
“In line with due process, Minister Hawke will thoroughly consider the matter,” the spokesman said.
“As the issue is ongoing, for legal reasons it is inappropriate to comment further.”
Should such a discretionary decision be made, Djokovic could be banned from entering the country for three years.
Court documents have also raised fresh questions about the tennis star’s status to enter the country.
Djokovic told authorities on a border declaration form he had not travelled in the two-week period before his flight to Australia.
However, Djokovic was filmed playing tennis in the streets of Belgrade in Serbia on Christmas Day and training in Spain on December 31, both within the 14-day window.
The declaration notes that giving false or misleading information is a serious offence, while civil penalties are also available.
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Djokovic was detained in immigration detention last week for arriving into the country unvaccinated with an invalid exemption, in breach of Australia’s border laws, and his visa was cancelled as a result.
However, the federal court quashed the decision, after government lawyers conceded the decision made during an early morning immigration interview was unreasonable in the circumstances.
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