WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Australia has granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s football team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the Iran war began, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Tuesday.
The women were transported from their hotel in Gold Coast, Australia “to a safe location” by Australian federal police officers in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time. There, they met with Burke and the processing of their humanitarian visas was finalized, the minister told reporters in Brisbane hours later.
“I say to the other members of the team the same opportunity is there,” Burke said. “Australia has taken the Iranian women’s soccer team into our hearts.”
Local news outlets reported that the squad numbered about 20 women. Burke didn’t detail what threats the players faced if they returned to Iran, but the asylum bids followed urging by Iranian groups in Australia and by US President Donald Trump for the Australian government to offer help to the woman.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the Iran war began. The team was knocked out of the tournament over the weekend and was facing the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment. Iran’s head coach Marziyeh Jafari on Sunday said the players “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can,” according to Australia’s national news agency, AAP.
During the tournament, the players have mostly declined to comment on the situation at home, although Iran forward Sara Didar choked back tears in a news conference on Wednesday as she shared their concerns for their families, friends and all Iranians during the conflict.
The team’s silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last week was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn’t clarified. They later sang and saluted during the anthem before their remaining two matches.
“These women are tremendously popular in Australia, but we realize they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions that they’re making,” Burke said. “The opportunity will continue to be there for them to talk to Australian officials if they wish to.”
Burke’s announcement came after Trump on Monday in Washington called on Australia to grant asylum to any team member who wanted it. Earlier that day, Trump had blasted Australia on social media, saying Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the ... team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.” Trump called on Australia to grant the team asylum, adding: “The US will take them if you won’t.”
Less than two hours later, in another social media post, Trump praised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying, “He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”
Trump also said that some players “feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return.”
Trump’s offer of asylum represented something of a change for the president, whose administration has sought to limit the number of immigrants who can receive asylum for political purposes.