Football players need a level playing field – and so do all Iranian refugees
The Refugee Action Collective Vic welcomes Iranian footballers Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, who have been granted Australian citizenship after seeking asylum during the women’s Asian Cup in March.
Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, was keen to be photographed with them at their citizenship ceremony on Wednesday. But he continues to ignore the case for giving protection to hundreds of Iranians who have fled to Australia from the same authoritarian regime.
The Refugee Council of Australia website indicates that almost 2000 Iranians applied for permanent protection between 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2025. Hundreds remain in limbo in the community on short-term bridging visas.
Another 183 Iranians are marooned in Indonesia, prevented by government policy from applying for asylum in Australia. Some 86 more are detained in Australia.
RAC Vic spokesperson David Glanz said, “Many of these people have fled for fear of their lives and risked everything on flimsy boats to try to reach safety in Australia.
“It’s great to see the two footballers welcomed by Tony Burke. But he continues to ignore the justified claims of other Iranian asylum-seekers, most of whom have endured horrific sacrifice to reach Australia or Indonesia.
“The minister is happy to pose for happy snaps with the footballers but his government has passed legislation designed to force Iran and other brutal regimes to take back refugees, and to make it easier to deport asylum-seekers.
“In March, it also imposed a six-month ban on Iranians arriving on temporary visas.
“Why do some asylum-seekers get red carpet treatment and others are left in hellish limbo? This double standard has to end.”
As Iranian asylum-seeker Fatemeh Lahmidi told the ABC, she has been in Australia for more than 13 years waiting for permanent protection.
“My family has been waiting for so many years, and it’s hard to understand why we are still living with so much uncertainty while others receive citizenship so quickly,” she said.
Glanz said RAC joined calls from other refugee organisations for the government to grant permanent protection for all asylum-seekers fleeing the Islamic Republic of Iran. “And our concern doesn’t stop there – we are for welcoming refugees fleeing the threat of torture and death, regardless of where they are from.”
For more information or interviews, call David Glanz on 0438 547 723.
