Three of the Iranian female footballers who sought asylum in Australia will return to their homeland

Three members of Iran’s women’s football team, who had been granted refugee status in order to remain in Australia, have decided to return to their homeland, Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs said.

As a result, of the team’s original seven members, only three remain in Australia.

Another footballer had said a few days earlier that she would also return.

In a statement, Tony Burke noted that “after informing the Australian authorities of their decision, the players were given multiple opportunities to discuss their options.”

After arriving in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup in February, before the war began, six players and one member of the support staff were granted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia, while the rest of the squad, made up of 26 players, flew from Sydney to Malaysia on March 9.