Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dramatically accused Novak Djokovic of trying to ‘run the border’ in an epic serve against the tennis star who has been refused entry into Australia.
The prime minister said the world No.1 only had himself to blame for his predicament because he didn’t have a valid vaccine exemption to enter the country.
‘I want to thank the Border Force officers for doing their job implementing the Government’s policies, they have done their job, entry with a visa requires double vaccination or a medical exemption,’ Morrison said.
‘I am advised that such an exemption was not in place, and as a result, he is subject to the same rule as anyone else.
‘People try to run the border all the time. People come with a visa that may not satisfy other requirements for entry – and they are put back on planes and turned back all the time.’
‘I also want to stress, that ultimately, this is the responsibility of the traveler. It is for the traveler to be able to assert and back up their ability to come into the country consistent with our laws.
However, Alan Jones blasted the federal government over the move – claiming the world No.1 is being treated like a ‘common criminal’.
The outspoken broadcaster accused the government of ‘weaponizing’ Djokovic’s case and unfairly singling him out when similar applications from other players had been approved.
‘It gives every impression, as with so many issues, that governments are prepared to abandon facts and cave into pressure from the left-wing Twitter mob,’ Jones wrote in a post on his personal Facebook page.
‘Djokovic was granted an exemption – now it appears that the visa rules which have applied to others who were granted exemptions, do not apply to Djokovic.’
‘It is easy to see Djokovic as the villain, but the image of an Australia treating a bloke like a common criminal owes more to the behavior of a police state than it does to liberal democracy.
‘You either have rule by law or rule by the mob. Which is it?’
The shock jock, who launched his own online show last month after leaving Sky News Australia, claimed the case was proof ‘of the police state that we have seen operating in Victoria for some time.’
Jones’ rant came after it emerged Djokovic’s team reportedly applied for a type of visa that does not allow medical exemptions for the unvaccinated.
There are also believed to be issues with the controversial exemption itself, with questions about whether he has adequate proof to support it.
