Thread by @aymanfadel

Novak Djokovic issued a statement regarding his #immigration status to #Australia to play #tennis in @AustralianOpen. instagram.com/p/CYnO7cDqbdj/…

How many poor people are in jails because of "administrative mistakes?" How many migrants are languishing in detention facilities or have been deported because of "administrative mistakes?" How many migrants can't actually practice their professions & instead perform much less

remunerative jobs because of laws which restrict their freedom to work? Deporting Novak or preventing him from competing, assuming #publichealth measures such as movement restrictions, masking & regular testing are followed, will neither stop the #pandemic nor relieve the

suffering of migrants worldwide. I say let Novak entertain us with his #tennis, & let us direct our anger at the politicians who offer only neoliberal policies (i.e. those where corporations can profit) to address #pandemic & who oppress migrants.

As an FYI, other, less-accomplished #tennis athletes have been denied entry to or deported from Australia. Natalia Vikhlyantseva took Sputnik V, a #vaccine #Australia doesn't recognize.
tennis365.com/tennis-news/ru…

Renata Voracova, like Novak, received a medical exemption through an approved process
wtatennis.com/news/2445141/w…

Many athletes have failed drug tests and been suspended and claimed that they had misunderstood or forgotten that the substances they took were on a banned list.

So Novak's "team" should really do a lot better. While I'm with Charles Barkley on "I'm no role model," Novak's

hesitation to take #vaccine & follow #publichealth guidelines isn't moral high ground. Let's assume he has a medical contraindication to the vaccine. If so, he should disclose it. If, on the other hand, his position is that he's young & healthy or he uses spiritual healing, he

should stop going out in public and exposing others without those advantages.