Australia grants asylum to 7 Iranian women soccer team members

Seven members of Iran's women's soccer team were granted humanitarian visas in Australia after seeking asylum, while the rest of the squad returned home following protests and concerns over safety amid the Iran war.

Two more members of the Iranian women’s soccer team were granted asylum in Australia before their teammates departed the country, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Wednesday.

It brings to seven the number of women granted humanitarian visas in Australia after five Iranian players sought asylum earlier, Burke told reporters in Canberra. One of those in the later group was a player and the other a team staffer, the official said, and both sought asylum before their teammates were transported to the airport.

The rest of the team’s departure from Sydney, Australia to return to Iran late Tuesday local time happened during fraught and outraged protest at the delegation's hotel and at the airport. There, Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.

Their flight departed late Tuesday.

The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the Iran war began on February 28. The team was knocked out of the tournament over the weekend and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment.

Australia's government Wednesday disclosed their final attempts to ensure each member of the team could consider an asylum offer. Burke said that as the women passed through security at Australia’s border, they were taken aside individually to speak to Australian officials and interpreters, without minders present.