Australia said it had granted humanitarian visas to a total of seven members of the Iranian women’s football delegation on Wednesday morning as the rest of the team landed in Malaysia.
Home minister Tony Burke said a player and a support staff member had accepted the government’s offer, a day after five other players were granted asylum. But at the last minute one of the seven changed her mind and decided to return to Iran with the team.
The Iranian women’s football team were in Australia for the Asia Cup tournament when war broke out back home and drew international attention after they did not sing the national anthem before their opening match.
Concerns about the safety of the players grew after Iranian state television labelled them “wartime traitors” for refusing to sing the anthem.
The decision to grant some players asylum followed days of appeals from Iranian advocacy groups in Australia and US president Donald Trump, who called on Canberra to offer them protection.
“I made them the same offer that I made the five players the night before,” Mr Burke said. “If they wanted to receive a humanitarian visa for Australia, which would have a pathway to a permanent visa, I had the paperwork ready and would execute that immediately.”
Squad member Mohaddeseh Zolfi and support member Zahra Soltan Meshkeh Kar reportedly sought asylum before the rest of the team departed on a flight to Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night, according to Guardian Australia. It was not immediately known who decided to return to Iran.
“One of the two who had made the decision to stay last night had spoken to some of the teammates who had left, and had changed her mind," Mr Burke told parliament.
"In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel. And so, we respect the context in which she has made that decision."
The woman later contacted officials at the Iranian embassy who arrived at the hotel where she had been staying with other members of the delegation and took her into their care.
Mr Burke said the rest of the delegation was moved to a safe location after that member contacted the Iranian embassy, giving away their location.
"I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved, and that is being dealt with," he said.
Mehdi Taj, the president of Iran's football federation, earlier claimed that Australia had pressured members of the team into seeking asylum.
He said that when the team tried to leave the country, police intervened on the orders of the prime minister.
Iran’s head coach Marziyeh Jafari said on Sunday the players “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can”.
Mr Burke said officials had spoken to the woman who changed her mind to "made sure it was her decision" and that "every question you would want asked was asked".
Australian officials spoke individually with most members of the team at the Sydney airport, and informed them of their options before they flew out.
“What we made sure of was that there was no rushing and no pressure," the minister told reporters.
All those who made it to the airport chose to return to Iran.
"What we made sure of was that there was no rushing, there was no pressure," the minister said. “Everything was about ensuring the dignity of those individuals to make a choice.”
Mr Burke said some players had asked him about the possibility of helping their family members leave Iran.
"Obviously, when people are permanent residents, there are rights that they have in terms of sponsoring other family members,” he said.
“But all of it only becomes relevant if people can get out of Iran in the first place.”
Some discussed their options with family but declined the offer to stay in Australia. The team then left for Kuala Lumpur on their way to Iran.
The team's campaign in the tournament began just as the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
They were eliminated from the tournament on Sunday.
A group of Iranians living in Australia gathered to protest against the Iranian government and surrounded the players' bus in Gold Coast when they left the hotel for the airport.
Many also turned up at the Sydney airport on Tuesday evening as the team were being transferred to the international terminal, television footage showed.
"Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women," prime minister Anthony Albanese told a news conference on Tuesday.
"They're safe here, and they should feel at home here."
The Iranian embassy in Malaysia said the remaining squad members would return to Tehran once Iran's airspace was reopened.
“They want to return home,” the embassy told Bernama.
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