Former Iranian Women Footballers 'Proud' to Become Australian Citizens
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were granted citizenship months after seeking Australia's protection during the women's Asian Cup.
Two former Iranian women footballers, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, have been granted Australian citizenship at a ceremony on Wednesday overseen by interior minister Tony Burke.
The pair were members of a group of seven from Iran's delegation who asked for Australia's protection following the high-profile protest during the women's Asian Cup in March.
Their demands for protection were an embarrassment for Iran's leaders but were lauded by US President Donald Trump. Five of the group later changed their minds and returned home, while Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh stayed.
"Yesterday was a truly special and unforgettable day for me. I feel proud and deeply grateful to become an Australian citizen," Ramezanisadeh said in a statement.
"After everything we've been through and all the challenges we faced, this moment means more than words can express," Pasandideh added.
A week after seeking asylum, the pair was pictured smiling and training with Australian club Brisbane Roar, which congratulated them on Wednesday.
"What they have been through since February is more than most people deal with in a lifetime," a spokesman for the club said.
"To see them arrive at this point is something everyone here at Brisbane Roar is glad to have had a small part in," the spokesman added.
"Queensland is their home now. If they ever want to pull on a training top and come back out with us, the door will always stay open."
The plight of the rest of the team remains unclear since their return to Iran. AFP reporters saw them cross into their homeland from Turkey on a bus, wearing the national team tracksuits and with their hair covered.
Soon after, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that the players and their support team were "children of the homeland and the people of Iran embrace them".
By returning, they had "disappointed the enemies (of Iran) and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements", he added.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.