Two more Iranian women soccer players have been granted Humanitarian Visas by the Australian government, allowing them to stay in the country while the conflict in West Asia continues.
Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke wrote in a post on X, "Later in the evening, they were reunited with their five teammates who had made the same decision the night before. They will be safe here. They will be at home here. They are welcome here in Australia."
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the Iranian soccer players who had been granted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia are safe in the country.
"Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They're safe here, and they should feel at home here,'' Albanese said. The players - Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramezanizadeh and Mona Hamoudi - reportedly escaped from team handlers at a hotel on Australia's Gold Coast following their participation in the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup, reported Channel 9 News.
The dramatic operation unfolded overnight, with the players assisted by Australian authorities before being moved to a secure location. Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that humanitarian visas had been approved after a late-night process by the Department of Home Affairs.
"I signed off last night for their applications to go onto humanitarian visas and a little bit after 1.30am this morning the processing was completed by the Department of Home Affairs," Burke said. -- ANI
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