Fans of Novak Djokovic are fighting to get him out of his hotel. Inside, refugees are wondering if they will ever leave

Tennis Australia was informed in a letter back in November 2021 that unvaccinated players with a recent Covid-19 infection would not be admitted under public health guidelines, Morrison told reporters on Thursday.

Djokovic’s legal team has won an urgent ban from the decision, but it’s still unclear whether the defending Australian Open men’s singles champion will be able to compete in the tournament, which starts on January 17th.

Djokovic’s lawyers complain about the revocation of his visa and did not want to comment on his trial on Monday.

But Djokovic’s situation has also highlighted the plight of asylum seekers in Australia. Although the tennis star will eventually either be allowed to play in the tournament or be forced to leave the country, other detainees at the same facility have been imprisoned for years – and are threatened with an arrest for the time being under Australia’s strict immigration rules.

Extensive rage

When dozens of protesters from different political groups gathered in front of the Park Hotel on Friday, they were united by one thing: the pursuit of freedom.

Some were from Serbian cultural groups singing and waving the flag of the Balkan country, and they considered the arrest of Djokovic to be a great injustice to one of the world’s biggest sports stars.

“I don’t understand why he should be in the detention center,” said Tara, a 17-year-old Australian Serb and junior tennis player who did not share her last name. “Everyone has their own choice as to whether or not to be vaccinated.”

Djokovic, who draws with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a record 20 men’s grand slam tournament, has not publicly revealed his vaccination status, but expressed opposition to Covid-19 vaccines and vaccination mandates in April 2020.

Others used Djokovic’s plight as an opportunity to criticize how the vaccine mandates had restricted civil liberties.

One woman, who gave her name only to Matty for privacy reasons, said that if Djokovic went home, she would not watch the Australian Open.

“I went every year – I can’t this year because of vaccine regulations,” said Matty, who added that he was unvaccinated.

Another disguised person who refused to speak to CNN wore a sign declaring Djokovic a “hostage of the communist state.”

But others drew attention to about 30 refugees held at the hotel.

The hotel, previously used by the Australian government as a Covid-19 quarantine facility, has been an alternative detention center (APOD) for refugees and asylum seekers for at least a year.

Almost a decade ago, Australia said asylum seekers who arrived by boat would never be accommodated in the country. Hundreds were held in offshore treatment centers for years, although some were sent to Australian hotels for treatment due to medical conditions.

Refugees still have little hope of freedom, and the conditions in which they are held are highly controversial. 27-year-old teacher Tom Hardman stood in front of the Park Hotel with the words “release them,” and said he had come to support the refugees.

“I am here because the loneliness and heartache that these men suffer from not knowing when they will be released is unbearable to prove,” he said.

Oscar Sterner, 25, said he was opposed to both anti-vaxxers and refugee detention – and said the real problem was putting an unvaccinated visitor in a hotel with refugees in need of medical treatment.

“Djokovic is a millionaire rubbish that has rightly caused the anger of many people in Australia,” he said. “He can’t bother taking vaccinations to protect the people around him.”

What is it like inside

“It’s so dirty and the food is so awful,” Dijana Djokovic told reporters at a news conference in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, on Thursday. “It’s just not fair. It’s not human.”

American tennis star John Isner also tweeted in support of Djokovic, saying keeping him in the hotel “wasn’t right.”

“There is no justification for the treatment he received. He followed the rules, was allowed to come to Australia, and now he is being arrested against his will. This is such a pity.”

Australian Home Secretary Karen Andrews said on Friday that Djokovic was “not held in custody” and could leave the country if he wished.

“He’s free to leave at any time he wants to do so, and the Border Force actually makes it easier,” Andrews told ABC. “It is the responsibility of the individual passenger to ensure that they have all the documents required to arrive in Australia.”

Australian immigration law allows a re-entry ban of up to three years after a visa has been revoked under certain conditions – but it is unclear whether Djokovic will face such a penalty.

The Association of Professional Tennis Players said in a statement issued on Friday that Djokovic had ensured his well-being.

“Respecting all personal views on vaccinations, vaccinated athletes and non-vaccinated athletes (with an approved medical exception) should both have the freedom to compete,” said the organization, which was founded by Djokovic. “We will continue to support and defend our members and all players as they approve.”

According to human rights lawyer Alison Battisson, who has four clients at the Park Hotel, visitors who do not have a real Australian visa are usually handcuffed and transported to an immigrant detention center in an unmarked van with tinted windows.

“It’s an incredibly traumatic and dehumanizing process,” he said.

A video shared with CNN about the Park Hotel shows inmates in small rooms with a double bed, TV and some chairs. Asylum seekers have access to a staircase that leads them to a roof where they can smoke. It is unclear whether Djokovic will remain in the same circumstances.

“This is a window, we can’t open it at any point,” said Adnan Choopani, one of the prisoners, in a video filmed for CNN.

Although the hotel looks neat and well-liked in the videos filmed by Choopan, problems have been reported in the past. Battison said the facility had a Covid epidemic last year, and detainees have reported finding larvae in their food.

Others detained

Djokovic’s media spotlight is hard to swallow for the approximately 30 refugees held in the hotel. Many have been imprisoned for years – and have little hope of ever getting out.

Mehdi, who asked to use only one name to protect his family, fled Iran at the age of 15 and has been imprisoned in Australia for more than eight years, restricting access to education or health care.

“I have served my time,” said Mehdi, who turned 24 on Friday. “We’re suffering, we’re exhausted and tired … you’re imprisoned for now, which means they can keep you for as long as they can, for as long as they want.”

Choopani said he and his fellow prisoners were just sitting in their rooms, and many of them were taking antidepressants. Choopani is Mehd’s cousin, and she left Iran when she was also 15. She dreams of walking down the street or going out for coffee.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I think this is just a nightmare … we live in the 21st century, a country that believes in democracy and continues to commit such behavior to innocent people.”

While it is unclear whether Djokovic will be allowed to play in Melbourne Park this month, a tennis star will eventually be let out of the hotel.

Craig Foster, a former Australian national football player defending on behalf of asylum seekers, says he hopes at least something good can follow from the situation.

“In one way, it’s good for the world to see how Australia has treated our newcomers, whether they are asylum seekers or refugees, or indeed an athlete like Novak who has apparently run into his visa documents,” he said.

“If anything, we hope that this whole embarrassing saga will put Australians in a position to better understand the plight of these people.”