Iranian Women's Footballers Seek Refuge in Australia Amid Protests

Two Iranian women's football team members received asylum in Australia, joining five others already granted humanitarian visas. Their departure was surrounded by protests in Sydney, as Iranian Australians expressed concerns about the women's safety back in Iran.

Two more members of the Iranian women's football team have been granted asylum in Australia, according to the country's Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke. The pair joins five players who received humanitarian visas just a day earlier, he announced in Canberra.

This latest group includes one player and a team staffer. Both sought asylum before the rest of the team was transported to the airport, amidst escalating tensions and protests at their hotel and at Sydney airport.

The protests were led by Iranian Australians who were concerned about the women's safety if they returned to Iran. Despite the uproar, the rest of the team's departure proceeded on Tuesday night, local time.