Two more Iranian football team members granted asylum in Australia as rest of squad land in Kuala Lumpur
Source: The Guardian (London)
A total of seven members of the Iranian women’s football team have now been granted humanitarian visas in Australia, home affairs minister Tony Burke has confirmed, with another player and member of the team staff being given protection before the squad departed on Tuesday night.
The additional two women – 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 told a press conference on Wednesday morning. 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 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 two extra women, along with their five teammates who were granted humanitarian visas by the Albanese government on Tuesday morning, will have access to “the full range of settlement services and supports”, Burke said. That includes support to learn English and find employment, as well as access education and training.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/11/iran-womens-football-team-asylum-tony-burke-labor
Matildas gonna be unbeatable if/when they get the citizenship sorted with FIFA. Not that they were at all shabby before.
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