Straight answers: Why was Djoker denied?

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
He was given a medical exemption. For what reasoning?

It was then denied the second time for what reasoning?

Or was he denied because of a logistical Visa error?
 

weakera

Talk Tennis Guru
It looks like because he was dumb enough to trigger the masses into pressuring the Australian government with his Instagram post. Should have just slipped in without announcement and let the reports be vague until his pre tournament press conference.
 

Amritia

Hall of Fame
The Tennis Australia's 2 medical panels roles were to check whether the medical document he submitted fit the requirements of an exemption. Tennis Australia admitted themselves that their panel did not check the veracity of the medical documents itself.

Ie their role could be to check if Djokovic's issue counted as an 'acute medical condition'... rather than whether he had an acute medical condition at all.

My guess is Aussie border officials questioned him on the details of the acute medical condition itself, and found on the balance of probabilities, he simply wasn't telling the truth.
 

weakera

Talk Tennis Guru
He told the medical panel he tested positive in the last 6 months. Medical panel gave him the exemption. Upon arrival it turns out BF wasn't happy with the evidence he had for testing positive for Covid. Visa denied.

That's the easiest evidence to produce imaginable. One positive pcr test. There must be more to the story if that is indeed an acceptable grounds for exemption.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
It looks like because he was dumb enough to trigger the masses into pressuring the Australian government with his Instagram post. Should have just slipped in without announcement and let the reports be vague until his pre tournament press conference.

This, the social media pushback
 

Kawasaki Kanagawa

Professional
A logistical visa error feels like something that would happen to me.

I don't think a visa error is what happened here. I've heard of athletes trying to apply for a tourist visa while revealing they were in Australia for a sports event. BF were hard on them but let them apply for a sportsperson visa.
 

reaper

Legend
Immigration interviews are a summary process everywhere. I'm sure he can appeal but that usually doesn't stop the deportation process.

Also the next time he applies for a visa to AUS, he'll have to declare he once got a visa refused. That's a huge deal.
[/QUOTE]

I don't think most people realise how few rights they have when attempting to cross borders. You really are at the whim of the authorities in the country you're trying to enter, sometimes even when it's your own country.
 

Genie Of the Bank

Hall of Fame
This was the tennis version of the Red Wedding. Invite your main guest to your castle and than slaughter him.

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Bartelby

Bionic Poster
TA/Victorian Government gave him this exemption under national guidelines, and the Federal Government under Morrison promised just yesterday to abide by the exemption and let him play.

There was an overnight political backflip.

Morrison got his Minister to put out a statement and then Border Force begged Victoria to take the pressure off Morrison by sponsoring Djokovic. When this didn't work his visa was cancelled.

Im confused who gave him this exemption?
 

Kawasaki Kanagawa

Professional
TA/Victorian Government gave him this exemption under national guidelines, and the Federal Government under Morrison promised just yesterday to abide by the exemption and let him play.

There was an overnight political backflip.

Morrison got his Minister to put out a statement and then Border Force begged Victoria to take the pressure off Morrison by sponsoring Djokovic. When this didn't work his visa was cancelled.

Hey Bart, do you think this decision was political? Can you please elaborate?
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
The Victorians allowed TA to vet exemptions so as not to take the blame, but the Feds let people into the country so despite the process being agreed to by Morrison he ripped it up overnight.

There are no votes in Djokovic lifting the AO trophy, to say the least!

Hey Bart, do you think this decision was political? Can you please elaborate?
 
TA/Victorian Government gave him this exemption under national guidelines, and the Federal Government under Morrison promised just yesterday to abide by the exemption and let him play.

There was an overnight political backflip.

Morrison got his Minister to put out a statement and then Border Force begged Victoria to take the pressure off Morrison by sponsoring Djokovic. When this didn't work his visa was cancelled.
So the Victorian govt have him an exemption and then rescinded it?
 

reaper

Legend
Yep...why didn't they go after others with same exemptions.
Djokovic should have just come without announcing how he got in until after the tournament.

Many years ago I worked in Border Force (Customs as it was then known). When someone presents with a visa the details of that visa are not necessarily written on it. Those players were not the subject of public commentary in the day leading up to their arrival, so nothing flags them for particular attention. The border force officer would have looked at their visa, asked them to show their exemption, then on viewing that let them through. Djokovic drew attention to himself prior to entry. That meant the authorities were looking to the detail of his application. Turning their attention to the detail revealed not everything was in order. That provided the pretext in the current political climate on which to exclude him.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
And that means that there was, at least, indirect political pressure applied to Border Force to look more closely at Djokovic's documents despite Morrison agreeing to let him in just yesterday.

Many years ago I worked in Border Force (Customs as it was then known). When someone presents with a visa the details of that visa are not necessarily written on it. Those players were not the subject of public commentary in the day leading up to their arrival, so nothing flags them for particular attention. The border force officer would have looked at their visa, asked them to show their exemption, then on viewing that let them through. Djokovic drew attention to himself prior to entry. that meant the authorities were looking to the detail of his application. Turning their attention to the detail revealed not everything was in order. That provided the pretext in the current political climate on which to exclude him.
 

reaper

Legend
And that means that there was, at least, indirect political pressure applied to Border Force to look more closely at Djokovic's documents despite Morrison agreeing to let him in just yesterday.

The person adjudicating on the Djokovic matter was the Assistant Commissioner of Border Force. That's unusual for a start. It's very likely the Minister would have been in contact with Border Force passing on Morrison's riding instructions.
 

Cashman

Hall of Fame
He was given a medical exemption. For what reasoning?

It was then denied the second time for what reasoning?

Or was he denied because of a logistical Visa error?
It appears:
  1. Djokovic put forward a set of circumstances to TA and the Victorian health authorities outlining why he couldn't get vaccinated
  2. TA/DHHS determined that the circumstances presented would meet the requirements for a medical exemption
  3. The federal government took the TA/DHHS judgement and issued a visa to Djokovic with conditions based on the circumstances he provided
  4. When Djokovic arrived at the border, he was required to show federal border security evidence that he met the listed visa conditions
  5. Djokovic was unable to provide this evidence, so the federal government cancelled his visa
Everything else appears to be miscommunication, misrepresentation and political posturing.
 
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pj80

Legend
Many years ago I worked in Border Force (Customs as it was then known). When someone presents with a visa the details of that visa are not necessarily written on it. Those players were not the subject of public commentary in the day leading up to their arrival, so nothing flags them for particular attention. The border force officer would have looked at their visa, asked them to show their exemption, then on viewing that let them through. Djokovic drew attention to himself prior to entry. That meant the authorities were looking to the detail of his application. Turning their attention to the detail revealed not everything was in order. That provided the pretext in the current political climate on which to exclude him.
Well yeah, that's why I said he should have just come in...without any announcement on how or any announcement at all and let them ponder whether he got the vaccine or not
 

base615

Semi-Pro
The visa @DjokerNole was using to gain entry to Australia was the same one used by three other tennis players already granted permission, sources close to Oz Open tell Reuters...

If those players are vaccinated they can enter under that visa. Djokovic is not and that visa does not allow for a medical exemption, therefore he couldn’t enter.

Nevertheless, they gave him the courtesy of an assessment under the correct visa and he was unable to provide evidence of a medical issue warranting an exemption.
 
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