Robert Jovicic

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Robert Jovicic (b. 4 December 1966) is a stateless person, though he was born in France to Serbian parents and, when he was two, migrated to Australia. Jovicic was an Australian permanent resident for 36 years but never gained Australian citizenship. He had applied once, but was rejected on character grounds.

During the course of his residency in Australia, Jovicic committed a number of serious and often violent crimes to support a drug addiction. By 2004 his criminal record numbered some 150 offences. He had been given warnings about the need to control his violent acts in order to maintain his permanent residency. In 2004, with ongoing offences, his permanent residency was cancelled and he was deported to Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, at the discretion of then Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, a decision since upheld by Mr Ruddock's successor, Amanda Vanstone. His father lives in Serbia and Montenegro, and Jovicic was reported as being co-operative and undistressed with moving there at the time.

One year after his return to Serbia, Jovicic had a change of opinion about his return and protested outside the Australian embassy in Belgrade, demanding to be readmitted to Australia. He declined to apply for Serbian citizenship whilst he attempted to return to Australia, and thus was stateless by choice. His case was widely publicised in the Australian press in late November 2005, and there were calls for the Australian Government to reverse its cancellation of Jovicic's permanent residency. Jovicic's legal counsel have stated that he does not speak or understand the Serbian language, however his father is a Serbian man who lives in Serbia, and he himself has spent over a year there in an environment where limited English is spoken. The truth of this assertion has been questioned and it has been suggested to be an exaggeration in order to gain media and public sympathy.There were also suggestions, however, that allowing him to return would place Australian citizens at unnecessary risk from his violent and drug related activities.

In March 2006, Australian Immigration Minister Senator Amanda Vanstone announced that Jovicic will be given a special purpose visa and allowed to return to Australia temporarily. Although Jovicic's Australian legal counsel had indicated that should the Australian government decide to allow him to return he would sue the Australian government for damages, he is so far relieved by the decision, and has made no mention of pursuing legal action.

[edit] See also

Other prominent immigration cases in Australia:

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