Minister cites 'public interest' in revoking Djokovic's visa

The Australian government minister who decided to cancel Novak Djokovic's visa to enter the country says he did so in the name of public interest

Australian Open Djokovic (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Here is the statement issued Friday by Alex Hawke, Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, when he revoked Novak Djokovic’s visa to enter the country:

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Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr. Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.

This decision followed orders by the Federal Circuit and Family Court on 10 January 2022, quashing a prior cancellation decision on procedural fairness grounds.

In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic.

The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I thank the officers of the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force who work every day to serve Australia’s interests in increasingly challenging operational environments.

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