Djokovic experienced a “small part” of refugee abuse in Australia, according to Amnesty International

The NGO Amnesty International (AI) denounced that the problems of the world’s number one tennis player, Novak Djokovic, with Australian immigration policy they reflect only “a small part” of the abuse to which refugees and asylum seekers are subjected in Australia.

AI referred to the retention for several days of Djokovic in a special hotel upon his arrival in Australia due to problems with his visa for not being vaccinated against covid-19 and his subsequent release this Monday by order of a court in Melbourne, where he intends to participate in the Australian Open.

“Djokovic experienced a small part of what refugees have been experiencing for years because of the shameful refugee policies of the Australian Government.or, ”said Graham Thom, AI’s expert on refugee issues in Australia, in a statement.

The expert explained that refugees fleeing conflict or persecution are detained when trying to reach Australia and locked up, sometimes for years, in guarded hotels or sent to detention centers in Nauru or Papua New Guinea.

“They cannot work, send their children to school, play the sport they love, access healthcare, or plan for their future. And many suffer trauma and illness every day from their experiences under arrest.Thom pointed out.

Djokovic himself was in one of these special hotels in Melbourne from last Thursday until Monday, when a judge ordered his release on the understanding that he had presented the necessary documents to have a medical exemption from the obligation to be vaccinated.

“The air inside my room is a prison, a misery that has accompanied me for almost nine years”Said Mehdi Ali, a 24-year-old Iranian refugee detained at the Park hotel in Melbourne, where the Serbian tennis player was also held.

According to AI, there are some 40 refugees and asylum seekers detained in these Australian hotels known as Alternative Places of Detention (APODs).