Australian government given the meme treatment after chaotic handling of Novak Djokovic’s visa saga 

You must be Djoking! Australian government is given the meme treatment after its chaotic handling of Novak Djokovic’s visa saga

  • The Australian government has fallen foul of the meme police in recent days
  • Their ridiculous treatment of Novak Djokovic has proven a major unforced error
  • The tennis star, who has natural immunity from Covid, spent six days in a refugee detention centre despite having a visa and medical exemption from the vaccine 
  • A judge in the state of Victoria overturned the govt. decision to revoke his visa
  • But immigration minister Alex Hawke may still pull his visa at a moment’s notice  
  • Hawke-Eye’s decision has not yet been made but the Aussie authorities have already been ridiculed


The Australian Government has been given the meme treatment amid its ludicrous handling of world number one tennis star Novak Djokovic’s visa after it emerged the Serb was unvaccinated. 

A unbelievable breakdown in communication between state and federal government, along with plenty of political posturing, has resulted in a major unforced error for the country which has some of the world’s strictest Covid restrictions. 

Djokovic touched down in Melbourne on Wednesday, one week ahead of the Australian Open main draw.

Despite having publicly declared his opposition to vaccination, the tennis phenom was in possession of a visa allowing him to complete and a medical exemption from the vaccine – not to mention natural immunity having recently overcome Covid. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison – who is under extreme pressure in an election year having implemented severe and extremely unpopular lockdowns and vaccine passports – first deferred the responsibility of enforcing Covid rules to the state of Victoria.

He then decided just hours later that the federal government gets to control who comes in and out of the country and that everyone – including world famous athletes, must abide by its tyrannical restrictions. 

‘Rules are rules,’ Morrison said.

Djokovic was finally released from detention earlier today and made his way to practice at midnight in Melbourne – just as Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced he could still tear up the tennis star’s visa at a moment’s notice

Djokovic was finally released from detention earlier today and made his way to practice at midnight in Melbourne - just as Australia's Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced he could still tear up the tennis star's visa at a moment's notice.

Djokovic was finally released from detention earlier today and made his way to practice at midnight in Melbourne – just as Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced he could still tear up the tennis star’s visa at a moment’s notice.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison - who is under extreme pressure in election year having implemented extreme lockdowns and vaccine passports for travel - has faced a major backlash for the government's treatment of tennis player Novak Djokovic

Prime Minister Scott Morrison – who is under extreme pressure in election year having implemented extreme lockdowns and vaccine passports for travel – has faced a major backlash for the government’s treatment of tennis player Novak Djokovic

Serbian tennis fans march along Collins Street on January 10, 2022 in Melbourne, in support of Novak Djokovic following his release from a refugee detention centre

Serbian tennis fans march along Collins Street on January 10, 2022 in Melbourne, in support of Novak Djokovic following his release from a refugee detention centre

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic's uncle Goran, mother Dijana, father Srdjan and brother Djordje attend a news conference in Belgrade, Serbia, January 10, 2022, in which they admonished the Australian government's treatment of the tennis star

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic’s uncle Goran, mother Dijana, father Srdjan and brother Djordje attend a news conference in Belgrade, Serbia, January 10, 2022, in which they admonished the Australian government’s treatment of the tennis star

Djokovic’s visa was revoked and he was transported to a ‘torturous’ migrant detention centre to await deportation… only for a judge in Victoria this morning to overturn the government’s decision to rip up his visa.

‘Rules are rules,’ said Judge Anthony Kelly, upon ruling that border agents who gave Djokovic just 20 minutes to produce more documentation to support his visa at 4am had acted unreasonably.

‘Stated in other terms: those rules were not observed.’

Djokovic was finally released from detention earlier today and made his way to practice at midnight in Melbourne – just as Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced he could still tear up the tennis star’s visa at a moment’s notice. 

The saga rumbles on, with Hawke-Eye’s decision still in the offing. But in the eyes of the internet, the farce has already gone on long enough. 

Here are some of the top shots from the action so far.

 

 

 

 

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