Australian Immigration Regime Arbitrary and Capricious: Human Rights Expert

Sydney, AUSTRALIA – 10-Jan-22

Human rights lawyer and National Justice Project CEO, Professor George Newhouse has
today commented on the conduct of the Djokovic case in the Federal Court by Home
Affairs.

First of all, we have to put to one side any personal feelings we might have regarding Novak
Djokovic or the anti-vaccination movement.

The real issue here is that the Australian Constitution allows racist and discriminatory laws
to be made. Historically, these affect only Indigenous people and refugees. For once, it is
affecting a wealthy and well-known sporting star.

Mr Djokovic is getting a taste of how our capricious and cruel immigration regime is
enforced. There are men in detention with Djokovic who have been detained for over 8
years now. The extreme power of the Australian government to lock up aliens has its roots
not only in the Constitution but also the White Australia policy. It is embedded in our legal
system.

Because the victim is world famous, for once the extreme cruelty of the Australian
government’s policies is getting international attention.

Mr Djokovic is lucky to be able to talk to his lawyers and loved ones. The Australian
government simply ignores international humanitarian law, in 2017 the National Justice
Project had to go to the Federal Court to stop the Minister for Immigration from taking
phones from all immigration detainees.
It’s a policy designed to isolate individuals, undermine their well-being, and limit their ability
to effectively put their case. People think that Australia is a friendly nation but you cannot
imagine how badly refugees and asylum seekers, who have committed no crime, are treated
here.