Overturning Novak Djokovic's visa ban for Australian Open 2023 would be "a slap in the face for those who did the right thing" says Australia's Shadow Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews
The Novak Djokovic-Australian Open saga is gathering momentum again as the 2023 season approaches. Australia's Shadow Home Affairs Minister, Karen Andrews, suggested that it would be a bad idea to overturn the Serb's visa ban before the three-year period is served.
Djokovic was deported earlier this year after he tried to make his way into the country to play in the Australian Open as an unvaccinated foreigner, through a special exemption. Andrews was Home Affairs Minister at the time of the Serb's visa cancelation and deportation.
The Shadow Home Affairs Minister opened up on the Serbian tennis great's chances of overturning his three-year ban. She feels that it would be unfair to Australians "who did the right thing and got vaccinated" if a multi-millionaire tennis player is allowed back into the country only because compulsory vaccination is no longer a requirement in Australia.
"It would be a slap in the face for those people in Australia who did the right thing, got vaccinated, did everything that they needed to do, if all of a sudden Novak Djokovic is allowed back into the country, simply because he is a high-ranking tennis player with many millions of dollars," Andrews said during an interview with ABC Radio Melbourne.
Andrews acknowledged that the rule change earlier this year no longer requires vaccination as an entry criterion into Australia, which gives Novak Djokovic a chance to enter the country. But Andrews stressed that there are many others who are also in a similar position as the Serbian tennis player, but are not celebrities like him, and that their cases should be given special consideration if the same is done for the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
"So if immigration now chooses to make a special announcement for Novak Djokovic, the obvious question is what are you going to do about anyone else in similar circumstances?" Andrews continued.
Andrews opined that the fact that the Serbian player "has a lot of money" makes his circumstances 'unique', but it should not be something that gives him preference over many others also hoping to get their visa bans overturned.
"I don't think there is any reason it should be overturned simply because someone has a lot of money," Andrews said.
"So the government would clearly need to look at everyone else in these circumstances who would have had a visa cancelation and see whether or not they should be allowed into the country as well. It shouldn't be one rule for Novak Djokovic and a different rule for everyone else who is not worth millions," she added.
The former Home Affairs Minister also opened up about the controversial build-up to the 2022 Australian Open involving the nine-time Australian Open champion.
"I would be concerned if all of a sudden the government says it's okay for you to come in" - Karen Andrews on Novak Djokovic
Karen Andrews further stated that the reasons for Novak Djokovic's visa cancelation back in January were valid as the order was eventually upheld by the court.
The main reason behind the visa cancelation, as stated at the time by Australia's Immigration Minister, was a fear that an unvaccinated celebrity like Djokovic would inspire an anti-vaccination stance among his fans in Australia. But that was just one of the reasons, clarified Andrews.
She also highlighted other factors that played a role in the Serb's visa cancelation, including the fact that he made public appearances while being COVID-positive in Serbia, shortly before the 2022 Australian Open. Andrews went on to say that it would present a bad picture if the government decides to ignore all those factors when considering overturning his visa ban.
"It was a valid reason for cancelation because the court upheld the cancelation. But we all remember that there were a whole range of circumstances that impacted the situation at the time and that included what Mr. Djokovic actually had been doing overseas before he came to Australia, where he tested positive. All of those stories played out at the time as well," Andrews said.
"There were a whole range of circumstances that made the circumstances incredibly unique...So, I would be concerned if all of a sudden the government says it's okay for you to come in," she added.
Novak Djokovic also missed the US Open this year. The vaccine mandate in the US remained in place and he was not granted a special exemption to enter the country, effectively ending all hopes of his participation well before the tournament started or the draw was made.