DW: Djokovic’s case sheds light on Australia’s cruel border policies

He was given a visa and encouraged to fly, despite his apparent skepticism about vaccines. A malicious tactic of enticing the bird, because upon its arrival, the door was suddenly closed by Australia.

Perhaps those in charge sensed that by blocking his entry at the last minute they could have scored a double victory.

Many Australians see Djokovic’s unvaccinated presence as an insult to the stoic efforts of Melbourne people, who have spent months in isolation and have been massively vaccinated, even those who hesitated. Blocking his entry could only find approval.

This decision could have been made long before its launch. But the last-minute change allowed for a second political victory here: it produced a miniature border crisis and caused the miracle of distraction from the pandemic’s continued mismanagement by the government.

A widely used cruel strategy

It is an easy double victory. And this is a well-crafted strategy for Australia, which draws political capital from the atrocities caused on its border.

For decades, Australian politicians of all walks of life have used the country’s border controls as a tool for political manipulation and distraction from internal mistakes.

In a twist of irony, okokoviçi found himself trapped in the same hotel with dozens of refugees and asylum seekers, who were stranded, unable to leave, unable to enter. And their incarceration is a relative luxury compared to the plight of other asylum seekers in Australia – thousands of whom languish in offshore detention centers. All are victims of border cruelty.

To a migrant nation, this obsession with border control seems incompatible. But it is deeply rooted in the culture.

At the expense of its citizens

It is no wonder, then, that Australia’s instinctive stance in the face of the pandemic was to close its borders, regardless of the number of people. In fact, it worked for a while. This place was able to keep Covid away for an impressive time. And this strategy was preferred. My compatriots seemed to be silently proud of this harsh border policy.

But, as these border policies always do, the closure caused many people to suffer.

I myself have not been able to meet my family for two years. Even if Australia can finally open its borders slowly, Western Australia, where my family lives, remains closed.

Australians living around the world have been able to return home alone by paying tens of thousands of dollars. Immigrants living in Australia could not leave to visit sick relatives abroad because they knew they would not be able to return to their new homeland.

But this was seen as an inevitable collateral damage. As proof that policies work.

Exposed to the whole world

I have always known that Australia’s border policy was cruel. It is now recognized as such worldwide. But the abandonment of its citizens by Australia and the ruthless separation of families has crossed a threshold that I thought was unimaginable.

If Djokovic wins his case and is allowed to enter the country, good for him. But the bizarre situation he faced has exposed Australia’s Kafkaesque border policies to the world.

Australia must use this moment to rethink its fortress approach and prioritize human well-being over free political victories./ DW

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