Two more Iranian football squad members granted humanitarian visas in Australia, minister confirms | Australian foreign policy
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has confirmed that a total of seven members of the Iran women’s football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia.
Burke told a press conference on Wednesday morning that two more women had sought asylum before the rest of the Iran team left Sydney to fly to Malaysia on Tuesday night; one player and one support member. He said the couple was offered a humanitarian visa and both accepted the offer. Visas were processed overnight.
He said the two women were separated from their caretakers and the rest of the group and met with federal police at a location near Brisbane airport before meeting them.
“I made the same offer to them as I had made to the five players the night before: they wanted to get a humanitarian visa, which would be a pathway to a permanent visa for Australia.
“I had the paperwork ready to make it happen right away. They both said they were doing it. So I signed it.”
The pair join five teammates whose humanitarian visas were approved by the Albanian government on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, Burke and prime minister Anthony Albanese had encouraged other team members to seek asylum in Australia if they wanted. Burke said “the same opportunity is available to other players”, while Albanese said “we are ready to provide assistance to other women in the team”.
Sources had told Guardian Australia on Wednesday morning that one player and one staff member had not left Australia when the rest of the squad did.
The team arrived in Sydney just after 8pm local time on Tuesday after leaving the Gold Coast, where they lost the final match of the tournament 2-0 to the Philippines on Sunday.
After the first five players were granted asylum, fans gathered at the airport in the hope that more players or staff would try to stay in Australia. The speculation emerged after the team was embroiled in controversy 10 days ago for refusing to sing the national anthem in its opening match, prompting threats of retaliation for “traitors” during US-Israeli attacks on the country.
But fans were disappointed when the team was forced off the back of the plane and onto a bus, surrounded by airport staff and Australian federal police.
More details coming soon…
