Australia immigration expert: Djokovic unlikely to win appeal

An expert in Australian immigration law said on Sunday that he believed Novak Djokovic would be unsuccessful in his challenge against deportation from Australia.Christopher Levingston told British broadcaster Sky News that presumably border force officers on the ground had been exercising their powers to cancel his visa at the direction of the minister.

An expert in Australian immigration law said on Sunday that he believed Novak Djokovic would be unsuccessful in his challenge against deportation from Australia.

Christopher Levingston told British broadcaster Sky News that ''presumably'' border force officers on the ground had been exercising their powers to cancel his visa ''at the direction of the minister''. Djokovic, a vaccine skeptic, appears to have become a standard-bearer for anti-vaccine groups, including some people who've gathered outside for support outside his immigration hotel.

Levingston also said that if comments made against coronavirus vaccines and their rollout in the country they ''may well excite the undue attention of the government.'' Djokovic had his visa cancelled after arriving at Melbourne airport last week when Australian border officials ruled that he didn't meet the criteria for an exemption to an entry requirement that all non-citizens be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

His lawyers have since filed court papers in his challenge against deportation from Australia that show Djokovic tested positive for COVID-19 last month and recovered.

He used that as grounds in applying for a medical exemption to Australia's strict vaccination rules. The case is scheduled for a virtual hearing to appeal the visa cancellation. It will take place at 10 a.m. local time in Melbourne (2300 GMT Sunday) in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

Djokovic is nine-time Australian Open champion. He has 20 Grand Slam singles title, a men's record he shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.