Grand Slammed: Covid-19, Immigration, And Australia’s Hard-Line Politics
By Kaytlin HancockPerformative politics has once again taken Australia by storm, with Novak Djokovic’s deportation centre stage. The world number one men's tennis player was embroiled in national controversy ahead of the Australian Open after entering the country unvaccinated to play in the competition, in breach of the national immigration regulations. All of this after Australia faced some of the harshest lockdowns in the world to try and extinguish the Covid-19 virus.
HISTORY OF HARD-LINE IMMIGRATION POLICIES
The Hunger Games-esque publicity for the reality show of politics is not a new occurrence in Australia. Similar events have publicly called attention to the country’s immigration policies, after the deportation of Julian Blanc, a US “pick-up artist,” who taught how to pick up women using force and emotional abuse, or, Katie Hopkins, far-right British commentator who was deported over breached Covid regulations. Lastly, who could forget the threat to kill Johnny Depp’s dogs after he failed to declare them to Australian customs.
The government used these public frenzies as moments to try and reinstate their tough stance on immigration, on the basis that it was for the greater good. However, this type of performative politics has also been a way to detract attention from the government’s more sinister choices. This method of distraction has generally worked in the past.
INCONSISTENT IMMIGRATION POLICIES
The Novak Djokovic controversy has been more about Australia’s public maneuvering of political issues than about the unvaccinated sports star. The Australian government demonstrates this type of morality theatre in a bid to earn the unwavering trust of the public, and to reassure them that it can in fact make responsible decisions regarding the safety of the country.
Unfortunately, this hard-line approach to immigration more often extends to migrants and asylum seekers. While it's no secret that Australia’s approach to asylum seekers and human rights has had damaging effects on migrants, particularly in detention centres like Manus Island, there seems to have been few consequences for the sovereign state. Anna Neistat, senior director for research at Amnesty International stated that “Australia’s policy of exiling asylum seekers who arrive by boat is cruel in the extreme” in response to Australia’s inability to address the serious abuses that result from harmful policy making.
It is in this background that the irony of Djokovic’s twice cancelled visa and subsequent detainment can be fully recognised. He was held in the same hotel as 32 refugees who have been imprisoned by Australia for over nine years.
The refugees had previously been held in detention camps, until the Papua New Guinea government deemed that this detention was unconstitutional, and Australia was forced to relocate the men remaining in the camps. The Australian government has utilised the tactic of out of sight, out of mind, when it comes to those fleeing persecution.
Read the full article at Human Rights Pulse