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.
Mr Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 5, 2022
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.
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But border officials said he had “failed to provide appropriate evidence” for entry after arriving on Wednesday from Dubai.
The #Djokovic saga is not about whether you believe in covid vaccines, but whether you believe famous sports stars should play by the same rules as everyone else. He has the right not to be jabbed, and Australia has the right to chuck him out for making a dodgy visa application.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 5, 2022
“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.
President Aleksandar Vucic said the star was a victim of “harassment” and said that “the whole of Serbia” supported him.
Rafael Nadal, usually a scrupulous diplomat, very pointed in his verdict on Djokovic's predicament: 'The world has been suffering enough. Get vaccinated. If he wanted, he would playing here in Australia without problems.'
— Oliver Brown (@oliverbrown_tel) January 6, 2022
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 of allowing the rich and famous to do as they please while 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. – BBC
