Protesters have tried to block a bus taking the Iranian women's football team from their hotel on the Gold Coast to the airport and out of Australia after five members of the side who escaped their handlers were granted asylum by the federal government.
Members of the team appeared to pull one player towards the bus as the team left the RACV Royal Pines Resort this afternoon.
As the bus made its way out of the hotel, supporters stood in the vehicle's path and chanted "save our girls".
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Police attempted to move the group on before the bus eventually travelled to the airport with a police escort.
The development comes after five Iranian players were granted asylum after they escaped their handlers at a Gold Coast hotel with assistance from the Australian Federal Police.
The women, who are now under police protection, fear persecution if they return home after being labelled traitors for not singing the national anthem at the Asian Cup in Queensland.
This morning, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he met the women and had approved their application for humanitarian visas overnight.
"During the course of yesterday, it was made clear there were five women who wanted to stay in Australia," he said.
"They were moved to a safe location by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and last night I met with them at that location.
"I signed off last night for their applications to … be here."
He says the offer to remain in Australia is open to other team members.
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An AFP spokesperson confirmed federal police have provided assistance to Home Affairs over the past 72 hours.
"The AFP has long and enduring relationships with the Iranian diaspora through the AFP's Community Liaison Teams," the spokesperson said.
"The AFP acknowledges the community leaders, not-for-profit groups and ordinary Australians for their assistance and advocacy in this matter.
"The AFP will not be making further comment at this stage."
'I cried, this is amazing, amazing news'
Although only five of the team's players had been able to escape, it was initially hoped more would join them, Iranian Society of Queensland vice president Hadi Karimi told 9news.com.au.
"It was amazing, mate," Karimi said after it emerged that the five women were free.
"I cried, this is amazing, amazing news."
Karimi could not say how the five women had escaped from their hotel last night but said he hoped more of the players would be able to join them in the coming hours – although that appears less likely now with the team on its way out of Australia.
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The five who were being protected by police were Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi, Karimi said.
"[They] have left the team's training camp and successfully sought refuge in Australia," he said in a post on Instagram.
"These five courageous athletes, currently in a safe location, have announced that they have joined Iran's national Lion and Sun Revolution."
Karimi said a group of volunteers would remain at the hotel throughout the night, ready to help if any other of the players managed to leave.
Concerns had grown for the footballers since Sunday night when it was claimed at least one of the women made "a sign for help" as the team bus left Gold Coast Stadium after their Asian Cup campaign ended.
More than 50,000 people have signed a petition urging the Australian government to step in.
Earlier on Monday, Professional Footballers Australia boss Beau Busch said efforts to speak to Iranian players had been in vain.
"The reality at the moment is that we're unable to get in touch with the players," Busch told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"That's incredibly concerning, that's not a new thing, that's really been since the repression really dialled up in this – sort of February, January etc.
"So we're really concerned about the players, but our responsibility right now is to do everything within our power to try and make sure that they're safe."
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong would not comment over the weekend on the specific cases of the women seeking asylum.
"We know this regime has brutally murdered many of its own people. We know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women and we stand in solidarity with the men and women of Iran and particularly Iranian women and girls," she said.
"I don't want to get into commentary about the Iranian women's team."
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