5 Iranian footballers granted Australian visas after anthem protest

FIVE members of the Iranian women’s football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after their elimination in the Asian Cup, the government in Canberra says.

Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the women “were moved to a safe location” by Australian police. He said other squad members had been told they were welcome to stay in the country.

The women had been due to y home, but supporters had raised fears for their safety after the team declined to sing the national anthem ahead of their match against South Korea women’s national football team last week.

This prompted criticism in Iran, with one conservative commentator accusing the team of being “wartime traitors” and pushing for harsh punishment.

The remainder of the team was taken to Gold Coast Airport and was expected to y to Sydney on Tuesday evening local time.

The team’s coach was brie y stopped by dozens of activists who tried to persuade the other players to stay in Australia. Some protesters lay on the ground in an attempt to block the coach from moving forward. The players watched from inside the bus.

Australia’s humanitarian visa programme grants permanent protection to refugees and people in humanitarian need. Visa holders can live, work and study in the country.

Speaking early yesterday, Burke said the five players were happy for their names to be confirmed as Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamou di.

“They want to be clear they are not political activists. They are ath letes who want to be safe,” he said, adding that talks had been going on over several days.

Giving further details, Burke said in parliament that a police officer had been inside the team’s hotel and made efforts to create “the maximum amount of opportuni ties” for players to seek help.

The players were reportedly not able to walk around the hotel unaccompanied and were escorted to a conference room to eat meals, according to a source who spoke to SBS News.

Giving further details, Burke said that on Monday it became clear that five of the players “wanted to be able to stay in Australia”.

The group left their hotel the same day and were moved to a safe location by police.

Shortly after they left, the BBC witnessed some of their minders running across the hotel to try to f ind them but they had already gone.

Burke said he met the women at the safe location and then signed off for their applications for hu manitarian visas — a process complet ed on Monday.

It is unclear what repercussions there might be for the players’ families as a result.

The Iranian players’ situation had earlier come to the attention of Donald Trump, who had taken to his Truth Social platform to demand action, saying Australia should “give asylum” to the women or “the US will take them if you won’t.”

Around an hour later, Trump posted again to say he had spoken to Anthony Albanese, writing: “five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way”.

— BBC

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