A member of the Iranian women's soccer team who was granted asylum in Australia has changed her mind and decided to return to Iran, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says.
The woman was one of two provided with a humanitarian visa yesterday.
"I would advise that one of the two who had made the decision to stay last night, had spoken to some of the teammates who had left and had changed her mind. In Australia, people are able to change their mind," Burke said.
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"People are able to travel. And so we respect the context in which she has made that decision."
Burke said the woman contacted the Iranian embassy in Australia so she could get collected and that, as a result, the Iranian embassy became aware of the location of the rest of the team.
He said they were quickly moved as a precaution.
"I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved, and that's been dealt with immediately," Burke said.
She was one of the squad members who decided to stay in Australia yesterday.
Speaking this morning, Burke said the two women had accepted Australia's offer yesterday in Brisbane, just before the team flew to Sydney.
He said one was a player, and the other was a member of the support staff.
It is not apparent if the player or support staff member was the one who changed her mind today.
Burke said the remaining members of the team – both players and staff – were then separated from their minders at Sydney Airport last night, where they were offered the chance to also take up Australia's offer of asylum.
"They were given a chance, each player and each member of the team – with the exception of a small number of people where we had made the decision we did not want to make a direct offer to them," Burke said.
The players were taken to an interview room with just a member of Home Affairs staff and an interpreter, with Burke confirming they were also given every opportunity to speak to their families.
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"We couldn't take away the pressure of the context of the individuals, of what might have been said beforehand, what pressures they might have felt on other family members," he said.
The latest development means sixmembers of the Iranian women's football team, including players and staff, have elected to seek asylum in Australia instead of returning to their home country.
"In that situation, what we made sure of there was no rushing, there was no pressure, everything was about ensuring the dignity for those individuals to make a choice."
Burke confirmed some members of the team were not granted a visa due to their alleged connection to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which is closely connected to the Iranian regime and is designated a terrorist organisation in Australia.
"Not everyone who applied for a visa got one… People who were connected – and we work with security partners on these assessments – people who were connected to the IRGC were not granted visas," he said.
"There were some people leaving Australia who I am glad are leaving Australia."
Supporters at Sydney airport had been frantically trying to pass on a message from the family of one of the players saying they wanted her to stay in Australia.
"Her mum just called us right before and asked us to keep her here," Australian Iranian Patriots Association co-founder Minoo Toussi told reporters at Sydney airport last night.
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"She doesn't want to go. But as much as I know Australian government and AFP, they are responsible to create a safe environment for these girls and also to prevent the returns, because they are under pressure.
"These girls are … they're inside the two blades of the pair of the scissors. They have to stay here, otherwise, if they turn to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and as soon as they return in Tehran, they will go to the jail."
Toussi and her husband and fellow co-founder Maani Taghizadeh had been worried the message hadn't gotten through but Karimi confirmed emerging social media reports that she was among the women who had been able to stay.
"It's amazing, man," Karimi said.
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"How do you feel? You save nine lives. What would you like? What to feel? It's amazing."
It wasn't clear how the women had been able to separate themselves from the rest of the travelling party, including IRGC minders, but Karimi said they'd all eventually been interviewed by the AFP.
"We are begging for three days – are begging them for three days," Karimi said.
"Separate our girls, they are in pressure, separate them and interview them.
"Why it is the interview happened just now in the airport? They've been in the hotel for three days, no one could interview them."
Burke's office and the AFP were contacted for comment overnight.
Earlier in the evening, there were distressing scenes as protesters on the Gold Coast attempted to block the bus as it left the hotel.
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Supporters lay down on the road and chanted "save our girls" as police attempted to move them along.
Players appeared to pull one of the women towards their bus as they left the hotel, in vision filmed by the Brisbane Times.
They touched down at Sydney's domestic airport last night and boarded a waiting bus that was expected to take them to the international terminal.
The Sydney Morning Herald spoke to several players flanked by chaperones as they left Australia late last night, many saying they wanted to return to their families despite fears for their safety.
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"Iran is home," one said but the body language of some women reportedly told a different story, with tears streaming down the faces of the last of the women to board.
The team grabbed worldwide attention last week when players refused to sing Iran's national anthem before a game in the Asia Cup and they were branded "traitors" by the Islamic regime.
They were seen flashing their torches towards the arrivals hall, where supporters were waiting along with Australian Federal Police officers.
Five of the women escaped their handlers at the Gold Coast hotel with assistance from the AFP on Monday night.
Burke said this morning that the women had been "moved to a safe location", where he met with them and approved their humanitarian visas.
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