The Australian government, under pressure over the Novak Djokovic saga, said on Friday it will stand firm on the rule banning the unvaccinated from entering the country, but its decision on whether or not to deport the number one tennis world is long overdue.
To discover
Australian Open: men's schedule and results
Australian Open: ladies schedule and results
But Australian Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison found himself under fire for delaying a decision on whether or not to expel the unvaccinated champion.
Djokovic has admitted incorrectly filling out his entry declaration to Australia, and failing to follow isolation rules after testing positive for Covid-19 in December.
“
Nole
” had been turned back on his arrival in Melbourne on January 5 and placed in a detention center.
But his lawyers won a resounding victory on January 10, getting a judge to reinstate his visa and order his immediate release.
Thursday's Australian Open draw named Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, ranked 78th in the world, as Djokovic's first-round opponent.
But Immigration Minister Alex Hawke threatened to deport the champion anyway under his discretion.
His services later said the decision was delayed by an avalanche of motions filed by Djokovic's legal team.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham insisted on Friday that Australia would only allow people on full Covid vaccination schedules or those with an acceptable medical exemption to enter its territory.
“
This policy has not changed and we will continue to apply this policy rigorously
,” he said on ABC television.
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