An Iranian student in Australia, identified only as Atefeh, fears she will be executed if forced to return to Iran when her student visa expires in mid-March. The 37-year-old activist participated in the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests in Tehran, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. She says bullets were fired at her home by Iran's paramilitary force during the protests, prompting her to flee to Australia for postgraduate study.
Atefeh claims her social media criticism of the Islamic Republic and participation in anti-regime protests in Australia make her a target. She says returning to Iran is too dangerous. 'There's no way for me to go back right now. It's too dangerous for me,' she said. The regime's crackdown on protesters has resulted in an estimated death toll of over 30,000.
Atefeh is no longer eligible for a post-study graduate visa due to age restrictions introduced in July, which lowered the maximum eligible age from 50 to 35. She is seeking a temporary visa to stay legally. 'All I want is a temporary visa,' she said.
The Department of Home Affairs says it is monitoring the situation in Iran and assessing visa applications from Iranians in Australia. A spokesperson noted that protection visas require applicants to be refugees or meet other protection obligations, and that Australia does not return individuals to situations where they face harm.
Immigration experts have called for a streamlined emergency humanitarian visa scheme. Anna Talbot of the University of New South Wales' Kaldor Centre said such a scheme 'would take the politics out' of the government's response. The Refugee Council of Australia has also urged a cohesive national emergency response for people fleeing crises.
