Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has welcomed the decision to dismiss Serbian world No. 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic’s appeal.
Djokovic has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, which is a requirement for foreigners entering Australia.
He now faces a possible three-year ban on returning to Australia following the visa debacle.
Morrison said the decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa was made on health, safety and good order grounds. Below’s Morrison’s full statement:
The Full Federal Court of Australia unanimously decided to dismiss Mr Novak Djokovic’s application for judicial review which sought to challenge the Minister for Immigration’s decision to cancel his visa.
This cancellation decision was made on health, safety and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.
I welcome the decision to keep our borders strong and keep Australians safe.
As I said on Friday, Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected.
Over the pandemic, together we have achieved one of the lowest death rates, strongest economies and highest vaccination rates, in the world.
Strong borders are fundamental to the Australian way of life as is the rule of law.
Our Government has always understood this and has been prepared to take the decisions and actions necessary to protect the integrity of our borders.
I thank the Court for their prompt attention to these issues and the patience of all involved as we have worked to resolve this issue.
It’s now time to get on with the Australian Open and get back to enjoying tennis over the summer.”
For More News And Analysis About Zimbabwe Follow Africa-Press
