Four Members of Iranian Female Soccer Team Reject Australia Asylum Offer

MELBOURNE, Australia — Four members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team have now opted to leave Australia and return to Iran, reducing to three the number of players and staff who originally accepted Canberra’s offer of humanitarian visas, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed on Sunday.

The squad had arrived in Australia last month for the Women’s Asian Cup, entering the country before the Middle East conflict escalated on Feb. 28. After Iran’s opening match—during which the players did not sing the national anthem—six players and one support-staff member from the 26-member delegation accepted Australian refugee visas and remained in the country when the rest of the team departed for Malaysia on March 9.

One player reversed her decision shortly afterward, and three more—two players and the support-staff member—flew out of Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night, Burke said. They have since rejoined teammates who have been staying in Malaysia.

Burke emphasized that Australian officials gave the women “repeated chances to talk about their options” before they confirmed their final choice. “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,” he added.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency hailed the returns as a victory, claiming the women were “returning to the warm embrace of their family and homeland” and branding the episode “the disgraceful failure of the American-Australian project and another failure for Trump.” U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian diaspora groups in Australia had publicly urged Canberra to protect the squad.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, one of the government’s most senior figures, told Seven Network television he was relieved that three Iranians would remain in Australia. “I can only imagine the pressure that they feel and how difficult these sorts of decisions would be for them,” Chalmers said.

Burke defended Australia’s handling of the matter, saying the country “presented the Iranian team with choices and sought to help them. The Australian government has done everything we could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe future in Australia.”

The three who have chosen to stay are now beginning the process of resettlement, while their former teammates face an uncertain reception back in Iran.