Australia announced on Monday that another member of the Iranian women’s soccer team has departed the country after accepting a refugee visa to stay. This latest exit, occurring just before midnight on Sunday, brings the total number of squad members who have left Australia to five, according to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s office.
The Iranian government has viewed the women’s decisions to seek refuge in Australia as a victory against both Australia and U.S. President Donald Trump, while the Iranian diaspora in Australia attributes the departures to pressure from Tehran.
Earlier, two players and a team support staff member had left Sydney for Malaysia, as reported by Burke. The team had initially arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup before airstrikes were launched on their country by Israel and the United States on February 28.
Initially, six players and a support staff member had accepted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia from a squad of 26 players. The remaining Iranian contingent flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on March 10. One player later changed her mind and left Australia, while three others departed for Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The rest of the team has stayed in Kuala Lumpur since their departure from Australia.
Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite described the situation of the women in Australia as complex, emphasizing the government’s support for those who have chosen to stay. Political scientist Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who spent time in Iranian prisons, highlighted that the women’s welfare had been overshadowed by the propaganda war.
Thistlethwaite assured that all remaining team members in Australia are genuine asylum seekers and have been provided support by the Australian government and the diaspora community to settle in the country. The Iranian news agency reported that the three women who left Australia were returning to their homeland.
Concerns about the safety of the team in Iran arose when the players did not sing the national anthem before their first match. Some members of the Iranian diaspora in Australia have accused a support staffer, who initially accepted asylum but later left Australia, of spreading Iranian government propaganda to her teammates. Thistlethwaite dismissed claims that the staffer had influenced others to leave.
The Australian government has ensured that the women have been taken to a safe location in Australia, allowing them to communicate with their families and the Iranian embassy. Diplomatic relations between Australia and Iran were severed last year, with the Prime Minister citing intelligence reports linking the Revolutionary Guard to arson attacks.
Kambiz Razmara, Vice-President of the Australian-Iranian Society of Victoria, acknowledged the pressures faced by the women who accepted asylum and emphasized the challenging circumstances under which they made their decisions.