Vic: Visa deadline approaches for Homeless World Cup players

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2008
Vic: Visa deadline approaches for Homeless World Cup players

By Michelle Draper

MELBOURNE, Dec 17 AAP - Up to 60 international players from the Homeless World Cup
remain in Australia as the deadline for their departure approaches.

Between 40 and 50 participants are expected to apply for asylum.

So far, the Department of Immigration has received 24 applications for further visas
from players.

More than 380 of the 440 international players and officials who travelled to Melbourne
for the soccer tournament have now returned to their home countries, a department spokesman
said on Wednesday.

Melbourne homeless service HomeGround has received 46 requests for crisis accommodation
from players from a range of countries in Africa and the Middle East.

HomeGround chief executive Stephen Nash said the group has been housed together in
student accommodation in Melbourne's west.

"Keeping people together allows them to provide support to each other as they go through
a difficult period in their lives and await the outcomes of their applications for asylum,"

he said.

"The asylum seeker group has also received a lot of support from members of the community.

"We are all now working on the next step to ensure people have a longer-term plan for
accommodation and support services."

Players seeking asylum include members of teams from Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Rwanda and Liberia.

The Homeless World Cup players were issued 21-day visas.

Most players arrived on November 29 with visas which would expire from this Friday and Saturday.

AAP md/pmu/bwl/de

KEYWORD: HOMELESS ASYLUM

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