US EditionAnother 3 members of Iran’s women’s soccer team decide against staying in Australia as refugees
After refusing to sing Iran’s anthem, three players reversed asylum claims amid fears of persecution, leaving only three of seven defectors remaining in Australia, officials said.
- On Friday, coach Marziyeh Jafari said state TV comments affected Iran women's national football team players psychologically and drove some to seek asylum in Australia.
- After players stood silent during the anthem before the first match against South Korea, Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, IRIB presenter, labelled them 'wartime traitors'.
- Australia this week granted humanitarian protection visas to five Iranian players, while two more squad members received asylum on Wednesday and one chose to return to Iran.
- Australian police called the players one-on-one to persuade them to stay, but Jafari said most refused while Mohaddeseh Zolfi later reversed her decision and will return.
- Advocates note the broader visa backlog and said rapid subclass 866 visa grants for footballers highlight distress amid more than 24,000 applications lodged in 2024-25 and 4,000 approvals in 2024-25, including 462 of Iranian citizenship.
149 Articles
149 Articles
Dnevni list Danas
nin.rsFour of the seven members of the women's soccer team who originally wanted to stay in Australia have now decided to return home.
Out of concern for reprisals in her home country, Australia had granted asylum to several Iranian women footballers. Now three of them renounce it. Their future in Iran is uncertain.
Three more Iranian national football players with asylum in Australia are now returning to their home country.
Three Iranian Women's Football Team Members Withdraw Asylum Intent in Australia Two players and one staff member of the Iranian women's national football team, who participated in an international tournament held in Australia, have withdrawn their intent to seek asylum. According to AFP and other news agencies on the 15th (local time), the Australian Department of Home Affairs announced the previous day that three officials from the Iranian wome…
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