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Djokovic Saga

Here you go, the visa is basically a honesty box system, you fill in the boxes, if you don't have a criminal record the visa is passed.
If you have a criminal record, the program spits you out for further checking.

From the article:
Many have questioned how Djokovic was allowed to board a flight to Australia without the necessary visa.

"When you apply for a visa overseas, you get online and it's pretty much tick and flick. Australia doesn't have Border Force officers at every port around the world," the ex-officer said.

"We don't have the resources. It's impractical and it's not viable.

"So there's background checks done, they go through a process and ... you pop up in a database if you're a criminal or if you've got criminal history, you get looked at closely.

"Clearly Novak's not a criminal - we all know that. But because he's drawn so much attention to himself, that's what made him a target."

OK I get that, but given Novax's public stance on vaccination I would have thought it would have been worth checking his application very closely given the amount of publicity he generates.

I think it has been a balls up by Immigration/Border Force but it may well rebound on Novax if he can't play here for three years and other countries take a closer look at him.
 
OK I get that, but given Novax's public stance on vaccination I would have thought it would have been worth checking his application very closely given the amount of publicity he generates.

I think it has been a balls up by Immigration/Border Force but it may well rebound on Novax if he can't play here for three years and other countries take a closer look at him.
I would say it is a bit like robodebt, unless there is a flag put in the programme the computer automatically issues the visa. The only flag border force mentioned was a criminal record, probably all countries share that info, info on vaccinations wont be available, so the visa will automatically by generated.
Hunt actually sent a letter in late November highlighting the issue to tennis Australia, then in late December the chief medical officer for tennis Australia told the Djokovic camp that it would be O.K. Sounds as though tennis Australia are throwing him under the bus.

I've highlighted the main problem as I see it below, Hunt couldn't have been more blunt about it, if tennis Australia wanted to ignore it well that puts the Government in an embarrassing situation with very few options IMO.
This is the problem when the Government is constantly undermined in the media, in the end everyone just ignores them and an example has to be made.
Just the ways things are in todays world, Labor will have the same problem when they get in, it's all just headline fodder for the media, why didn't you get more tests? why did you waste taxpayers money buying too many tests, why didn't you buy a billion vaccines? why are you throwing away vaccines because they have expired?
Negative reporting is their bread and butter unfortunately, bad news sells, good news doesn't.
From the article:

Timeline of Djokovic saga​

  • On November 18, Djokovic is granted a temporary activity (subclass 408) visa. Temporary activity visas enable people to work in Australia on a short-term basis, and subclass 408 covers sporting activities.
  • On November 29, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt writes to Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley, saying players wishing to enter Australia quarantine-free must be fully vaccinated and cannot count a previous infection as a reason for exemption.
  • On December 16, Djokovic undertakes both PCR and rapid antigen COVID tests, according to a statement put out by the tennis star.
  • On December 17, Djokovic participates in events having not yet received a positive COVID test result.
  • On December 18, Djokovic takes part in a media interview despite having received a positive result on the PCR test.
  • On December 30, Djokovic receives a letter from the Chief Medical Officer of Tennis Australia stating he has been granted a "medical exemption from COVID vaccination" on the grounds that he had recently recovered from COVID-19.
  • On January 1, Djokovic receives an automated online confirmation via the Australian Travel Declaration website/app that he met the requirements for a "quarantine-free arrival into Australia where permitted by the jurisdiction of your arrival".
  • Just before midnight on January 5, Djokovic arrives in Melbourne on a flight from Dubai and is detained at the airport.
  • In the early hours of January 6, Djokovic is interviewed by Border Force officials before his visa is cancelled and he is transferred to a Melbourne immigration detention hotel.
 
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It wasn't his vaccination status that hunt pinged him on. It was the risk of causing antivax sentiment and risk to civil order.
Yep, libs joined the "wrong think" campaign for cheap points. Good luck with that.
The vaccine at double dose doesn't seem to work against omicron. The whole thing was stupid.

Let's all rejoice now he's gone as we can finally flatten the curve without his presence.
And sports people: Just say "yes" to drugs. Otherwise we will jail and deport you.
 
It wasn't his vaccination status that hunt pinged him on. It was the risk of causing antivax sentiment and risk to civil order.
Yep, libs joined the "wrong think" campaign for cheap points. Good luck with that.
The vaccine at double dose doesn't seem to work against omicron. The whole thing was stupid.

Let's all rejoice now he's gone as we can finally flatten the curve without his presence.
And sports people: Just say "yes" to drugs. Otherwise we will jail and deport you.
Yes I was only talking from a border force/ visa point of view, in response to Rumpole.
The whole thing was a fiasco and no doubt non of it would have happened, if you could trust the media not to make a storm in a tea cup about it.
If border force hadn't stopped Djocovic, the media would have made just as big a song and dance over why he was allowed in, when Australians who aren't vaccinated can't get home.
No matter what was done the media would have taken issue with, the stance the Government made was the only one they could actually back up, all other avenues would have been a disaster, just the way it is with the media these days I bet Glady's is pleased to be out of it. :xyxthumbs
 
Novak and his connections eventually realized that he wasn't a State of Origin footy team entering QLD.

Nor an Ashes cricket team entering Victoria.

But he may still have succeeded, with a more low key approach..
 
OK I get that, but given Novax's public stance on vaccination I would have thought it would have been worth checking his application very closely given the amount of publicity he generates.

I think it has been a balls up by Immigration/Border Force but it may well rebound on Novax if he can't play here for three years and other countries take a closer look at him.
Probably something to do with the tick&flick E-visa agreements with Monaco/France's Schengen. He's actually a resident of Monte-Carlo. He can come back anytime, if he's satisfactorily vaxed.

I get the auto visas from most of the countries I visit, but places like USA still put you through the hoops of honesty when going through customs.
 
Probably something to do with the tick&flick E-visa agreements with Monaco/France's Schengen. He's actually a resident of Monte-Carlo. He can come back anytime, if he's satisfactorily vaxed.

I get the auto visas from most of the countries I visit, but places like USA still put you through the hoops of honesty when going through customs.
It all probably came down to the fact that he gave false information on his visa application. It will be interesting to hear if the Court thought that was the major factor in repealing his visa. All this stuff about acting as encouragement for anti vaxers is a crock, the Government knew that before they gave him a visa in the first place, and it seems a strange reason for subsequently withdrawing it.
 
It all probably came down to the fact that he gave false information on his visa application.
That was not the case - it was his declaration card on entry to Australia.
It will be interesting to hear if the Court thought that was the major factor in repealing his visa. All this stuff about acting as encouragement for anti vaxers is a crock, the Government knew that before they gave him a visa in the first place, and it seems a strange reason for subsequently withdrawing it.
I think the reasons to be handed down by the Federal Court judges will be a bit scathing in relation to Hawke's claims as Djokovic's lawyers had a good case in terms of their considerations.
However, I am pretty sure the Minister's discretion prevailed in that he was able to "rationalise" his decision, irrespective of its correctness, and that his action was consistent with what the Immigration Act allowed.
 
It all probably came down to the fact that he gave false information on his visa application. It will be interesting to hear if the Court thought that was the major factor in repealing his visa. All this stuff about acting as encouragement for anti vaxers is a crock, the Government knew that before they gave him a visa in the first place, and it seems a strange reason for subsequently withdrawing it.
From the article:
Before handing down the full bench of the court's orders, Chief Justice James Allsop stressed the court was ruling only on the "lawfulness or legality" of the decision.
"It is no part of the function of the court to decide upon the merits or wisdom of the decision," he said, shortly before 6pm on Sunday.
 
It all probably came down to the fact that he gave false information on his visa application. It will be interesting to hear if the Court thought that was the major factor in repealing his visa. All this stuff about acting as encouragement for anti vaxers is a crock, the Government knew that before they gave him a visa in the first place, and it seems a strange reason for subsequently withdrawing it.
I don't think the court was tasked with the reasons or fairness for deportation, just that the legal procedural boxes were all ticked for the minister's discretionary ruling.
 
I don't think the court was tasked with the reasons or fairness for deportation, just that the legal procedural boxes were all ticked for the minister's discretionary ruling.

Yes, whether the Minister exceeded his power, I stand corrected.
 
So my understanding is Morrison is on the record saying tennis players would be granted visas based on tennis Australia and Victorian Gov approvals.

This is contrary to Hunts advice

Its on this basis the joker and all other players entered Australia.

Then Morrison changed the advice maybe realising how bad a look it was.

Not much reporting on this fact.

From here its all politics (strong on borders BS) and nothing to do with risk, nothing.

BTW normally people get flagged if they present as an issue so VISAs are not issued without them jumping through hoops the Joker was well known as an anti vaxer making public statements.


The big issue is the powers the immigration Minister has that were meant for extreme measures, apparently the joker was an extreme risk, total BS.

Australia now has a higher infection rate than the US / UK.

I am happy for the joker to be deported ( I like Raffa hope he wins) but the reasons make no sense.

Edit. There is also the small point of the anti vaxers in the Coalition, should they be also thrown out for the same reasons the minister put forward for the joker?
 
Looks as though other Countries are following Australia's lead.

A leaked email sent from the ATP to players has confirmed the worst news for Novak Djokovic: He won't be able to play the French Open unless he is vaccinated.
The ministry said a new vaccine pass, approved by the French parliament on Sunday: "Applies to everyone, to volunteers and to elite sportspeople, including those coming from abroad, until further notice."

On Thursday, a leaked email from the ATP to players confirmed the news.

Players were sent a message with the subject line: "IMPORTANT: France Vaccination Requirements."

According to Tennis Majors, the email read: "[Players] have been informed by the French Tennis Federation that legislation will soon be passed by the French Government prohibiting non-vaccinated athletes from competing in any sporting event.
 
A cheap shot but made me laugh.
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