Robert Jovicic
Encyclopedia
Robert Jovicic was a long-time resident of Australia who was deported to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia where he became destitute in 2005.
Jovicic was born on December 4, 1966 in France
of Serbian
parents. At the age of two, his family migrated to Australia
, where Jovicic became an Australian permanent resident
and lived for the next 36 years before his Australian Permanent Residency was revoked in 2004.
In Australia, Jovicic became addicted to heroin and turned to crime. By 2004 his criminal record numbered some 158 criminal convictions, mainly for burglary and theft. In June 2004 his permanent residency was cancelled and he was detained, before being deported to Belgrade
, Serbia
, at the discretion of the then Australian Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone
. The Australian Government only obtained a 7 day visa for him, which meant he was unable to work, and, since he had not opted for Yugoslavian, specifically Serbian, citizenship within 3 years of turning 21 (which was a precondition to maintain citizenship by any of the six Yugoslavia's constituent republics at the time), the FRY
authorities declared him stateless.
He turned up destitute and ill, sleeping rough in freezing temperatures outside the Australian embassy in the Serbian capital, Belgrade
, in late November 2005. His case was widely publicised in the Australian media, 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
. Jovicic's father now lives in Serbia, but he has his own problems (with alcohol) and his relationship with Robert is strained, so he was of little help.
In March 2006, Senator Amanda Vanstone
announced that Jovicic would be given a special purpose visa and allowed to return to Australia. She apparently promised the family through the then DIMIA that he would be returned and given an RRV (Resident Return Visa). According to his lawyer and others he was also offered access to the new Reconnecting People Package, which is for the reintegration of those wrongly detained (it would seem that if this package was offered it has since been withdrawn). Jovicic returned to Australia on the 9th March 2006, but to no certainty about his status. This state of uncertainty continued for almost a year, until he was granted a two year special protection visa in 19 February 2007 by Senator Vanstone's successor as Immigration Minister, Kevin Andrews
.
In February 2008 the new Labor Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, granted a Permanent Resident visa to Robert Jovicic.
Jovicic was born on December 4, 1966 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
of Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
parents. At the age of two, his family migrated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where Jovicic became an Australian permanent resident
Australian permanent resident
Australian permanent residents are residents of Australia who hold permanent residency visas but are not citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia....
and lived for the next 36 years before his Australian Permanent Residency was revoked in 2004.
In Australia, Jovicic became addicted to heroin and turned to crime. By 2004 his criminal record numbered some 158 criminal convictions, mainly for burglary and theft. In June 2004 his permanent residency was cancelled and he was detained, before being deported to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, at the discretion of the then Australian Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...
. The Australian Government only obtained a 7 day visa for him, which meant he was unable to work, and, since he had not opted for Yugoslavian, specifically Serbian, citizenship within 3 years of turning 21 (which was a precondition to maintain citizenship by any of the six Yugoslavia's constituent republics at the time), the FRY
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
authorities declared him stateless.
He turned up destitute and ill, sleeping rough in freezing temperatures outside the Australian embassy in the Serbian capital, Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, in late November 2005. His case was widely publicised in the Australian media, 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
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
. Jovicic's father now lives in Serbia, but he has his own problems (with alcohol) and his relationship with Robert is strained, so he was of little help.
In March 2006, Senator Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...
announced that Jovicic would be given a special purpose visa and allowed to return to Australia. She apparently promised the family through the then DIMIA that he would be returned and given an RRV (Resident Return Visa). According to his lawyer and others he was also offered access to the new Reconnecting People Package, which is for the reintegration of those wrongly detained (it would seem that if this package was offered it has since been withdrawn). Jovicic returned to Australia on the 9th March 2006, but to no certainty about his status. This state of uncertainty continued for almost a year, until he was granted a two year special protection visa in 19 February 2007 by Senator Vanstone's successor as Immigration Minister, Kevin Andrews
Kevin Andrews (Australian politician)
Kevin James Andrews is an Australian politician and member of the Liberal Party of Australia. He is a member of the House of Representatives and was Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Howard Government, having previously been Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 7...
.
In February 2008 the new Labor Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, granted a Permanent Resident visa to Robert Jovicic.
See also
Other prominent immigration cases in Australia:- Cornelia RauCornelia RauCornelia Rau is a German citizen and Australian permanent resident who was unlawfully detained for a period of ten months in 2004 and 2005 as part of the Australian Government's mandatory detention program.- Overview :...
- Vivian SolonVivian SolonVivian Alvarez Solon is an Australian who was unlawfully removed to the Philippines by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs in July 2001. In May 2005, it became public knowledge that she had been deported, although DIMIA knew of its mistake in 2003...
- Stefan NystromStefan NystromStefan Nystrom was a long-time resident of Australia who was deported to Sweden in controversial circumstances in 2006.- Life :Nystrom was born on 31 December 1973 in Sweden. His mother was an Australian resident but was visiting her parents in Sweden in the late stages of her pregnancy. She...