A total of seven members of the Iranian womenβs football team have now been granted humanitarian visas in Australia, home affairs minister Tony Burke has confirmed, with another player and member of the team staff being given protection before the squad departed on Tuesday night.
The additional two women β who Guardian Australia understands are squad member Mohaddeseh Zolfi and support member Zahra Soltan Meshkeh Kar β sought asylum before the rest of the Iranian team departed Sydney on a flight to Malaysia on Tuesday night, Burke told a press conference on Wednesday morning. He said the pair were offered humanitarian visas, and both took up the offer. The visas were processed overnight, after they were cleared by security agencies.
Burke said one other woman, who reportedly tried to resist getting on the plane in Syd
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