Trump intervention on Iranian footballers comes after US deported Iranian asylum seekers

VIA BBC NEWS:

As we reported earlier, five members of the Iranian women’s football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after their elimination in the Asian Cup.

On Monday, Trump demanded Australia “give asylum” to the women’s football team. “The US will take them if you won’t,” he added.

Around an hour later, Trump posted again to say he had spoken to Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and “five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way”.

Trump’s post appeared to also suggest some of the team feared for the safety of their families back in Iran and so felt they must “go back”.

“In any event, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation. God bless Australia!” Trump said.

But Trump’s intervention on the Iranian footballers in Australia comes just months after his administration deported Iranian asylum seekers back to Iran.

His administration put all asylum decisions on hold at the end of last year, and has stopped issuing immigrant visas for citizens from dozens of countries including Iran. It has said the administration wants to bring “an end to the abuse” of the system.

Last year, two groups of Iranians – including people whose asylum applications had been unsuccessful – were deported from the US back to Iran. The groups reportedly included members of the LGBT community, who face severe legal and social repercussions in Iran.