Two additional members of Iran’s women’s football team have been granted asylum in Australia.
Five other team members were granted humanitarian visas on Monday.
It follows concern for player and staff safety, after the team boycotted Iran’s national anthem ahead of their first Women’s Asian Cup match.
The Cup (which Australia is currently hosting) began days after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran, and followed mass protests earlier this year.
The remaining team members left Australia on Tuesday night.
Context
Large civilian protests broke out in Iran in December, as demonstrators called for the end of the regime. Local health officials told media that an estimated 30,000 protesters have been killed.
On 28 February, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, killing the Supreme Leader. On 2 March, Iran played its first Women’s Asian Cup match in Queensland.
Before the game, Iranian players did not sing their national anthem. Iranian state media labelled the squad “traitors”. The backlash raised concerns about the team’s safety, should they return home.
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
I want to give $10 monthly to help TDA keep doing the news.
Your details:
Asylum
Five members of the team were granted asylum by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke late on Monday night.
On Tuesday night, two others in the squad (a player and a team staffer) were also given humanitarian visas.
This means seven members of the Iranian women’s football team will remain in Australia indefinitely.
The rest of the squad was taken to Brisbane airport to begin the journey back to Iran on Tuesday night.
Burke confirmed one person was “quite late getting on the plane,” as “conversations with family were happening.” However, that individual “ultimately made their own decision” to return to Iran, he said.
“We had to make sure [they] had complete agency over their decision,
without anyone else near them from the delegation.”
Burke said individual team members were given opportunities to speak to federal authorities, except for a “small number,” whom he said the Government “did not want to make a direct [visa] offer to”.
