‘You can’t just wander around the world thinking that because you’re really rich you’re really above the laws of other nations’
Australia’s deputy prime minister has stated that Novak Djokovic should be deported from the country if he has lied about his exemption from vaccination rules.
The world number one tennis player arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday but was denied entry into the country following a mix-up with his visa application. Djokovic requested the wrong type of visa for those with a medical exemption as to why they hadn’t been vaccinated against covid-19.
He is currently being held in immigration detention and will remain in Australia until Monday when a final decision will be made on if he will be deported.
Meanwhile, the country’s deputy PM, Barnaby Joyce, has told the BBC that rich people “can’t wander around the world thinking… they are above the laws.”
The 34-year-old announced that he would be competing at the Australian Open after he received a medical exemption from having a covid-19 vaccine, with tournament organisers stating the medical exemption was granted through a “rigorous review process” that went via the country’s Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) guidelines.
However, Australian Border Force (ABF) officials said on Wednesday that Djokovic had “failed to provide appropriate evidence” for entry into the country after he arrived from Dubai.
“If he hasn’t filled out the forms appropriately then he’s taking the sovereign capacity of another nation for a joke,” Joyce told the BBC‘s Newshour programme.
“100% someone’s made a mistake and if he hasn’t told the truth, then the person who’s made the mistake is Mr Djokovic.”
He added: “You can’t just wander around the world thinking that because you’re really rich you’re really above the laws of other nations.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously denied that the tennis star was being “singled out” and that no-one was above the country’s rules.
When Djokovic and other tennis players were granted medical exemptions, Morrison said he accepted the Victorian government’s decision.
The controversial situation surrounding the world number one has led to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to claim that Djokovic was a victim of “harassment” and that “the whole of Serbia” supported him.
Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, has also said that 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.
Morrison has denied the visa cancellation was because of “any particular position in relation to Serbia”.
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