Two Iranian footballers granted Australian citizenship after seeking asylum

Iranian women’s footballers Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh have been granted Australian citizenship after seeking asylum earlier this year. According to Euronews, the pair were sworn in at a citizenship ceremony in Brisbane attended by members of the Iranian community.

The players joined Brisbane Roar after receiving asylum when Iran withdrew from the Women’s Asian Cup hosted by Australia. Their citizenship was granted much earlier than the usual four-year residency requirement, although Australian authorities declined to explain why their applications were expedited.

The development could potentially make both players eligible to represent Australia internationally while continuing their careers in the A-League Women.

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