Three Iran soccer players return home after seeking asylum
Some soccer players are choosing to return to war-torn Iran despite the Australian government saying it has done all it could to ensure they had a chance for a safe future.
Three members of Iran’s women’s football team have reportedly decided to return to Iran after seeking asylum in Australia.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the players had chosen to rejoin their teammates who left the country last week.
The ABC reports the trio flew out of Australia overnight Saturday to join the Lionesses, currently in Malaysia.
Four other players who were granted humanitarian visas have opted to remain in Australia.
“While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” Burke said in a statement to the ABC on Sunday.
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“The Australian government has done everything it could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe future in Australia.
“Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them.”
One other player changed her mind on Wednesday morning after seeking refuge.
Last week, Burke said government officials did not rush or pressure the women into making a decision on whether to accept a humanitarian visa following the team’s exit from the Asian Cup.
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"There are fears for the rest of the team’s safety on their return to Iran after they were labelled “wartime traitors” on Iranian state media for refusing to sing the national anthem before their opening match."
Burke said he could not provide details on what the fate of the returning women could be.
“We didn’t talk in this precise terms, but I’m very mindful of the different comments that have been made by the Iranian-Australian community,” he said.
The team had been on staying at a hotel on the Gold Coast while competing in the Asian Cup.
They checked out on Tuesday afternoon under police guard, with one player appearing to be dragged by a teammate onto the bus.
They flew to Sydney and then departed Australia, headed for Kuala Lumpur.
Hadi Karimi, a Brisbane-based human rights activist who was part of the demonstrations, told AAP the women heading back to Iran were in danger.
“We were chanting, we were there for 24 hours outside that hotel on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“Their life is in danger, they’ve been threatened.”
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