Tony Burke says one player and one support member reunited with five players given asylum, as remainder of squad travels back via Kuala Lumpur
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.
An additional two women had sought asylum before the rest of the Iranian team departed Sydney on a flight to Malaysia on Tuesday night, one player and one support member, Burke told a press conference on Wednesday mornig. He said the pair were offered humanitarian visas, and both took up the offer. The visas were processed overnight.
He said the two women were separated from their minders and the rest of the group and met with federal police in a location attached to Brisbane airport, before he met with them.
“I made them the same offer that I had made the five players the night before, and that was that if they wanted to receive a humanitarian visa for Australia, which would have a pathway to a permanent visa.
