Refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi is expected to have Australian citizenship “very soon” after a miscommunication between Home Affairs agencies landed him in a Thai jail for more than two months.

Ex-Socceroo Craig Foster, who led the campaign to free the 25-year-old who faced extradition to Bahrain, said on Thursday that al-Araibi’s citizenship was “in train”.

“I’d expect that he has to sit his citizenship test, like everyone else. He’s going to do that as quickly as possible and he’s extremely keen,” Foster told The New Daily.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne earlier said al-Araibi would have citizenship “very soon”. His local member, Labor MP Andrew Giles, has written to Immigration Minister David Coleman seeking to have al-Araibi’s application fast-tracked.

Al-Araibi was welcomed to Parliament on Thursday with a friendly soccer match featuring Foster, former Matildas captain Kate Gill and politicians.

He was presented with a green and gold jersey emblazoned with “Australian Parliament FC (football club)”.

Foster said Ms Payne had told him measures had been taken to investigate the issue and ensure it was never repeated.

Hakeem al-Araibi was presented with a gold and green soccer jersey on Thursday morning, pictured with Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie. Photo: Rachel Eddie/The New Daily

Foster did not seek assurances from Prime Minister Scott Morrison in their meeting on Thursday, but is expected to write a letter soon.

“The key point today was to get some closure for him, which was important,” he said.

“For him to meet the Prime Minister, I think, was important to him, important for his community as well, and also important for Australia to see how we can actually treat a refugee, in my view.

“His point is he feels safe here. He’s got incredible gratitude for what Australia did for him, amazing. And the beautiful thing about today was – and it’s about him today it’s not about me raising all this, I can do that tomorrow – it’s about this kid coming and Australia seeing the gratitude he has for them.

The next step is how we get accountability for how we got into this mess. That’s the next step.”

Foster said that was Australia’s responsibility, not al-Araibi’s.

“This kid’s gone through a terrifying ordeal and the point now is he needs to heal, and that’s a matter for us and the rest of the country – to get accountability to ensure this never occurs again.”

The New Daily this week confirmed al-Araibi’s arrest in Thailand was a result of “miscommunication” between two agencies in Peter Dutton’s portfolio.

The Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force failed to properly communicate al-Araibi’s protected status as a refugee when the Interpol red notice was issued to Thailand.

Home Affairs is preparing to launch an urgent review into the automatic notification system this week.

Under Interpol’s refugee policy, a red notice cannot be issued against a refugee from the country they initially fled.

Foster said he had not been “terribly aggressive against the AFP or the government” because he does not yet have the facts.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten also assured Foster the issue would be followed up.

On Wednesday, Labor blocked a Greens motion to establish a Senate inquiry into the case. It also plans to quiz the department next week at Senate estimates.

After the soccer friendly, Foster said everyone was “very worried” about al-Araibi.

“He’s obviously riding on incredible adrenalin and elation. It’s only a week ago that I was talking to him on a phone behind Perspex with bars,” he said.

“I would have thought in the next week or two or three is when he’s going to need some help. He’s been through an incredible ordeal and I think that’s exacerbated by the fact that he was a torture survivor previously.

“Once the dust settles and we’re able to sit down and have a coffee and relax for a moment it’ll be, I think I’ll reflect anyway, and realise that now there’s a lot of people in Australia who need our help in the same way that Hakeem had it.”

Al-Araibi landed back home to Melbourne on Tuesday after facing the possibility of being forced to return to Bahrain, where he feared torture.

“I don’t have citizenship yet but my country is Australia. I will die in Australia and I love Australia. Thank you very much,” al-Araibi said when he landed at Melbourne Airport.