Iran Women’s players continue leaving Australia
Iranian Women’s Team members continue to leave Australia after accepting Refugee Visas
Members of the Iran women’s national football team who initially accepted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia are continuing to leave the country.
Australian authorities confirmed that another player departed shortly before midnight on Sunday, reducing the number of players still in Australia to two from the original group that had accepted refugee visas.
Earlier, two players and a team support staff member had already travelled from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The Iranian squad had originally travelled to Australia to compete in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
The situation unfolded after several members of the 26-player squad accepted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia, while the rest of the team departed for Malaysia on March 10.
One of the players later reversed her decision and left Australia, further reducing the number of team members staying in the country.
Concerns about the players’ safety had grown earlier in the tournament when the team did not sing the national anthem before their opening match, which led to increased scrutiny and speculation about possible repercussions back home.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency later reported that the players who left Australia were returning to their homeland.
Supporters within the Iranian diaspora in Australia suggested the players may have faced pressure while deciding whether to remain abroad or return.
For now, two members of the squad remain in Australia while the rest of the Iranian team continues to stay in Kuala Lumpur.
