The Iranian women's national football team refused to sing the national anthem during a tournament in Australia, raising concerns for their safety upon returning home. On Wednesday, the Australian government announced that two more members of the team had applied for asylum, and Australia granted them humanitarian visas.
Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Clare O'Neil, stated that one player and one support staff member accepted the government's offer. Another five members of the Iranian women's team had already been granted asylum on Tuesday.
O'Neil told the media: “The offer made to them is the same as the one given to the five players the previous night, meaning that if they want to obtain an Australian humanitarian visa, I have the documents ready to process immediately. Both of them agreed.”
At a media briefing in Canberra, O'Neil said: “We made sure the process was free of urgency or pressure. Everything was about ensuring these individuals could make their decisions with dignity.”
Some team members, after discussing with their families, declined the option to remain in Australia. The team has now arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, preparing to return to Iran.
When the Iranian women's team competed in the Asian Cup in Australia, they once refused to sing the national anthem. After Iran's state television labeled them 'traitors during wartime', concerns about the players' safety heightened.
The Iranian Football Association claimed that the players had been kidnapped and forced to stay in Australia.
The association's president, Mehdi Taj, stated on Iranian state television: “According to our information, after the match ended, regrettably, Australian police intervened and took one or two players from the hotel.”
Despite the team singing the anthem in subsequent matches, human rights organizations believe this does little to alleviate external concerns, as there remains worry about threats from Iran.