Iranian women’s footballers leave Australia after accepting humanitarian visas during Asian Cup

A fifth member of the Iran women's national football team who had accepted a humanitarian visa to remain in Australia has now left the country, officials confirmed on Monday, reducing the number of players still in Australia to two.According to the office of Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, the player departed shortly before midnight on Sunday. Her exit followed the departure of two teammates and a member of the team’s support staff, who had flown from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Iran’s squad had travelled to Australia to participate in the AFC Women's Asian Cup last month. However, the situation took a dramatic turn after war broke out in the Middle East on February 28 while the team was still in the country.

Out of the 26-member squad, six players and one support staff member initially accepted humanitarian visas offered by Australia to remain in the country when the rest of the Iranian delegation left Sydney for Malaysia on March 10. One of those players later reconsidered her decision and returned with the team.The latest departure means only two members from the original group that chose to stay in Australia remain in the country.

Iran’s state-linked Tasnim News Agency reported that the three who left earlier had reunited with their teammates and were “returning to the warm embrace of their family and homeland.”The episode had drawn international attention after the Iranian players did not sing the national anthem before their opening match, raising concerns about their safety if they returned to Iran.The Australian government had also faced calls from Iranian diaspora groups and former U.S. President Donald Trump to assist the players.