Australia Offers Humanitarian Visas For Afghanistan Paralympic Athletes

Zakia Khudadadi (Photo: Paralympics.org)

JAKARTA - Two Afghan athletes who made it to Japan to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics have been offered humanitarian visas from Australia, according to lawyers involved in the evacuation of the two athletes from their country.

Alison Battisson of Human Rights for All said the two athletes, women's taekwondo athletes Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli, who competed in the men's long jump on Tuesday, "need to be given space to decide what they want to do" after the world's biggest sporting event. for persons with disabilities is complete.

Khudadadi and Rasouli arrived in Tokyo on Saturday, August 28, after a multinational effort succeeded in evacuating the two athletes from the capital Kabul, which is now under Taliban control.

Battisson was involved in efforts to evacuate the two, along with dozens of other athletes.

"Australia has given them visas but this is all done in such a rush that they need some breathing room to decide what is best for them," Battisson said.

Former captain of the Australian national football team Craig Foster, who is also a refugee advocate involved in Sunday's evacuation, said their final destination was not yet known.

However, he thanked Secretary of State Marise Payne and other politicians for doing "a great job."

A Ministry of Home Affairs spokesman said on Tuesday that the department could comment on individual cases, but Australia had committed to accepting 3,000 Afghans under the country's humanitarian programme.

Special priority will be given to persecuted minorities, women and children, as well as those with family ties to Australia, the official said.

The two Afghan athletes participating in the Paralympics have been in the French capital, Paris, for about a week after they were evacuated.

Rasouli, who was supposed to compete in the men's T47 100 meters, instead competed in the men's T47 long jump on Tuesday because he arrived late.

Meanwhile, Khudadadi is scheduled to compete in the women's K44-49kg taekwondo class on Thursday (2/9). She will be the first female Afghan athlete to compete in the Paralympics since 2004, according to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).