One of the Iranian football squad members who had sought asylum has changed her mind, home affairs minister Tony Burke has confirmed.
A total of seven members of the Iranian women’s football team had been granted humanitarian visas in Australia, Burke confirmed on Wednesday morning, with another player and member of the team staff being given protection before the squad departed on Tuesday night.
But just hours after confirming the latest visas, Burke said one of the women had changed her mind and decided to return to Iran instead. It sparked an urgent operation to move the other women, after the squad member who changed her mind contacted the Iranian embassy and asked to be collected, meaning Iranian officials knew where the other players were staying.
The additional two women granted visas on Wednesday – who Guardian Australia understands are squad member Mohaddeseh Zolfi and support member Zahra Soltan Meshkeh Kar – sought asylum before the rest of the Iranian team departed Sydney on a flight to Malaysia on Tuesday night, Burke confirmed. He said the pair were offered humanitarian visas, and both took up the offer. The visas were processed overnight, after they were cleared by security agencies.
Burke made that announcement about 9am. But in parliament’s question time on Wednesday afternoon, he said he’d been advised around that one of the women had decided to return home, after speaking to team mates who had left Australia. It was unclear which of the women had backflipped. It is believed the woman is still in Australia.
“In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel. So, we respect the context in which has made that decision. Unfortunately, in making that decision, she had been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy and get collected,” Burke said.
“My officials made sure that this was her decision, and every question you’d want asked, was asked. As a result of that, it meant that the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was. I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved and that’s been dealt with immediately.”
Burke said one other woman, who reportedly tried to resist getting on the plane in Sydney, had been in conversations with her family until late in the process, but had ultimately decided to leave.
The women, granted humanitarian visas by the Albanese government, will have access to “the full range of settlement services and supports”, Burke said. That included support to learn English and find employment, as well as access education and training.
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Guardian Australia understands consideration of visa approvals for members of the Iranian team had begun well in advance of the Women’s Asian Cup tournament, with more detailed planning commencing at the beginning of last week.
Burke said the government would not necessarily be able to help the family members of the team members who stayed in Australia, noting it was difficult to even assist Australian citizens in Iran. But he added that permanent residents of Australia had rights to sponsor family members.
Nearly all members of the squad – excepting “a small number”, who Burke indicated were linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, listed by Australia as a state sponsor of terrorism – were interviewed separately by Australian officials, taken into individual rooms without Iranian minders and asked if they wished to seek protection.
“I made them the same offer that I had made the five players the night before, and that was that if they wanted to receive a humanitarian visa for Australia, which would have a pathway to a permanent visa.
“I had the paperwork ready to execute that immediately. They both said that they did. I signed off on that.”
Burke said those granted visas would soon begin processing to be able to stay permanently in Australia, and that his office would not seek to stop them seeking residency.
The minister praised the women who had made the choice to stay, saying they had faced immense pressure in making their decision, and that Australian officials had tried to help the team members contact their families in Iran during meetings.
“They were emotional meetings for them, and for the people from Home Affairs and Border Force who were meeting with them, I can’t begin to imagine what people have been weighing up. And as Australians, I think a lot of us would just wish the context was something fundamentally different,” Burke said.
“For everybody who was given that choice, I’m really glad to get that, and for the seven people who took up that offer, we as a nation are lucky that you chose us.”
The rest of the travelling squad arrived in Malaysia early Wednesday morning after flying out from Sydney, Agence France-Presse photos at Kuala Lumpur international airport showed.
On Tuesday, Burke and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, had encouraged further team members to seek asylum in Australia if they wished. Burke said “the same opportunity is there” for other players, while Albanese said “we’re willing to provide assistance to other women in the team”.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theguardian.com
