MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic said “human error” was behind a mistake on his documents for entry to Australia that breached its strict laws on reporting recent travel, as the government weighed whether to deport the player.
Djokovic was held in immigration detention in Melbourne for several days after his visa was canceled by border force officials, who questioned his medical exemption for a requirement to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
He was released on Monday when a judge quashed that decision, saying the cancellation of the visa was “unreasonable” because the player was not been given time to consult lawyers and tennis officials when he arrived in the country.
On Wednesday, Djokovic said his travel declaration was filled in by his support team, who made an “administrative mistake” when they ticked the “no” box in response to whether he had traveled elsewhere in the 14 days before arriving in Australia.
The statement came as Australia’s immigration minister, Alex Hawke, considered whether to cancel the world number one tennis player’s visa ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on Jan 17.
Giving false or misleading information on the form is an offence, carrying a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison, and a fine of up to A$6,600 ($4,730) and can lead to cancellation of the offender’s visa.