A fifth member of Iran’s women’s national football team who had earlier accepted a refugee visa in Australia has now left the country, Australian authorities confirmed on Monday, leaving only two of the original seven asylum seekers still in Australia.
According to the office of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, the player departed shortly before midnight on Sunday. The development follows the earlier departure of two players and a team support staff member who left Sydney for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday.
Iran’s women’s football squad had travelled to Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup last month before the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on Feb 28. Initially, six players and one support staff member from the 26-member squad accepted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia while the rest of the team flew to Kuala Lumpur on Mar 10. One of those who initially chose to stay later reversed her decision and left.
Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite described the situation as highly complex, emphasising that the decisions made by the athletes were deeply personal. He said the Australian government continues to support the two players who remain in the country and are seeking to settle there.
“These are deeply personal decisions, and the government respects the decisions of those who chose to return,” he told Sky News, adding that those who remain are receiving support from both the government and the Iranian diaspora community.
Political scientist Kylie Moore-Gilbert of Macquarie University said the situation had evolved into a broader propaganda battle that risked overshadowing the welfare of the players themselves.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency framed the departures as a success for Tehran, describing the players’ return as a victory against Australia and US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, members of the Iranian diaspora in Australia claim the athletes faced pressure from Iranian authorities.
Concerns about the players’ safety had intensified after members of the team declined to sing the Iranian national anthem before their first match in the tournament.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously severed diplomatic relations with Iran in August following intelligence findings linking Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024. Despite the breakdown in relations, Iran’s embassy in Canberra remains operational.
Community leaders within Australia’s Iranian diaspora say the players have been forced to make difficult decisions amid political pressure and uncertainty surrounding their future.
