House of Reps meets after Australia grants asylum to Iranian soccer players

This morning, we reported that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had invited more Iranian women’s soccer players to seek asylum in Australia as advocates urge authorities to speedily detain any regime handlers who have been trying to intimidate the women into returning home.

Five Iranian players made an audacious escape from the rest of the team at their Gold Coast hotel on Monday night and have been granted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia.

Iranian-Australian advocates hope more players will follow their teammates before the rest of the team departs Australia as early as Tuesday.

Albanese celebrated the players’ escape, saying they should feel at home in Australia.

“We’re willing to provide assistance to other women in the team, noting that this is a very delicate situation and it is up to them,” he said.

“But we say to them: if you want our help, help is here and we will provide that.”

Read the full story from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott here.