The devastated father of the Swedish student at the centre of Rome's homeless woman mystery has revealed she doesn't want to come home.

Embla Jauhojarvi, 21, told her heartbroken parents that she wants to remain sleeping on the streets in Italy after she dramatically rejected their pleas for her to return to Sweden.

Following an emotional reunion at the Swedish Embassy, her distraught father Tahvo told MailOnline: 'She's a wreck. Embla is not herself. She is a different person. She barely talked to us.

'She wants to go back to living on the street. She doesn't want to come home.

'We want to take her back to Sweden but it is so difficult. If she were in Sweden it would be so much better.'

Breaking down in tears the 54-year-old businessman, who flew from his home in Stockholm this morning to see her, added: 'How can the [Italian] authorities let her go back in the streets. She is not well.

'I cannot let her go back to sleeping outside and begging for food.'

Reunion: The mystery English speaking girl found sleeping rough in Rome was reunited with her estranged parents in the Italian capital today. She was pictured today arriving at the meeting with her parents, whom she had not seen for six months

Meeting: The woman's father Tahvo Jauhojarvi, 54, pictured arriving at the meeting with his estranged wife Ilona Kapp, said their daughter, Swedish student Embla, 21, disappeared six months ago and he has been frantic with worry since she vanished

Homeless: Embla, from Stockholm, in Sweden, suffers from Asperger's and has been sleeping rough in Rome. A worried passer-by uploaded pictures of her, which went viral

Concern: Embla's mother Ilona Kapp, 51, a bank clerk from Sweden, told of her relief at seeing her daughter for the first time since May. She told MailOnline: 'I have been so worried I did not sleep at all last night.'

Anguish: Embla's father Mr Jauhojarvi, pictured right in Rome today, said he saw photos of his daughter on MailOnline and immediately contacted the website to identify her. He caught the first flight to the Italian capital this morning to see her, pictured left ahead of their reunion

Embla, who ran away from home six months ago, arrived at the embassy in the Italian capital flanked by social workers for the showdown with her mother and father.

She got out of a black car, covered her face and said nothing as she was walked in shortly followed by Mr Jauhojarvi and his estranged wife Ilona Kapp.

They had flown to the Italian capital from their home in Sweden in a dramatic dash this morning.

Bank clerk Ilona, 51, said ahead of the meeting: 'I have been so worried I did not sleep at all last night.'

Embla, who suffers from Asperger's, sparked international concern when pictures of her sleeping rough in Rome were posted online by a worried passer-by and went viral.

Missing persons charities suggested that she could be one of the abducted children on their database, and possibly even missing British child Madeleine McCann, who vanished on holiday in Praia da Luz aged four in 2007.

In an exclusive interview, her father said before the meeting that she disappeared in May and he began a frantic search to find her.

'It has been such a long time I have been looking for her, six months,' he said before today's meeting.

'I just want to hold her and make sure she is safe. I want to take her home.'

Resemblance: Embla, 21, (right) was spotted sleeping rough on the streets of Rome. Missing persons charities said she looks like several abducted children, including Madeleine McCann (left) who vanished on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007

Temporary home: Adriano Banchetti, owner of a nearby sports clothing store in the Piazza della Torretta said he saw Embla often and said she had been sleeping rough for months

The businessman, who divorced Embla's mother 13 years ago, added: 'She is vulnerable. She has Asperger's syndrome. She finds it difficult to communicate. She is shy and does like to speak to people she doesn't know.

'Embla went to Rome last year for one week. She must have fallen in love with the city.

'When she got home she started to learn Italian. She would study for five six hours a night.

'She has never had any friends, not even one. When she went to secondary school I told her she would make friends. But after three years she told me i was wrong. 'She asked me; 'Dad, how do I make friends?''

Embla vanished six months ago while her father was abroad.

She had secretly left Sweden and travelled to Italy to take a language course in the south of the country.

When the course finished at the end of the summer she boarded a train to the capital Rome but failed to return home to Stockholm.

Mr Jauhojarvi explained: 'When I got home from South Africa I found Embla had vanished. She did not tell me she was going away. She did not leave a note. I didn't know what had become of her.

'After a couple of weeks I contacted the police and asked for help to find her. But they said she was over 18 was very little she could do.

'I contacted everyone I could think of – her school, her university, banks, everyone. I discovered she had signed up to an Italian language course in the south of Italy.

Facing her family: Embla arrives at the Swedish Embassy this afternoon for talks with her family. Her dreadlocks can be seen beneath a black hat she is wearing

Search: Mr Jauhojarvi never stopped looking for his daughter but he simply ran out of leads. The father of two was just desperate to see her again and never gave up hope

No contact: Her family say Embla had not been in contact since she left Sweden to study Italian in May. She was found by Italian police with no belongings and has reportedly been wearing the same long tan skirt, rain jacket, red scarf and black male trainers for weeks

Homeless: Embla, who lived with her father for eight years after her parents separated, has been staying around Piazza della Torretta in central Rome, pictured

Mystery: Her family said she suffers from Asperger's and that she is vulnerable. Her case appeared on the Italian TV show Chi l'ha Visto (Who Has Seen) and got worldwide attention

'I contacted the language school but they told me they had put her on a train to Rome and had not heard anything more from her.'

Mr Jauhojarvi, who saw the pictures of Embla living rough and contacted MailOnline, said he never stopped looking for his daughter but he simply ran out of leads.

He explained: 'I contacted Interpol and the Swedish Embassy in Rome and asked for help to find my daughter but again they said because she is an adult there is very little they could do.

'This is what I have heard for six months – excuses from the people who should be helping me to find my daughter.'

However Mr Jauhojarvi made a dramatic break-through yesterday when he was alerted to a story on MailOnline.

He explained: 'I had a call from Embla's cousin to say that he has seen her picture on the internet. I saw the picture and I knew it was Embla.

'I could not sleep. I have been awake all night. I booked the first flight to Rome. I just want to find my daughter.'

Resemblance: Although some commentators have said that she looks similar to missing British girl Madeleine McCann, a spokesman from Rome's military police told MailOnline Embla, whom they picked up last week, was too old to be Maddie and immediately ruled it out

Search: Kate and Gerry McCann have been desperately searching for their missing daughter Maddie since she disappeared on holiday with them in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007

Mr Jauhojarvi was met with further frustration when he learned Embla had returned to the streets following a night under the care of the Rome Social Services – her first proper night's sleep in months.

But his optimism returned when Rome Police told him the blonde girl had been spotted and had again been taken into protective care.

The detective in the case said: 'Embla left the place where she was staying last night. She said she did not want to stay. The social services could not stop her. She is an adult.

'But we [the police] were alerted and one of our officers spotted her. She is now back in protective care.'

Together with her estranged husband Tahvo and their son the family arrived for the reunion at lunchtime today.

Missing girl Embla had arrived earlier under the protection of Rome's social services. She decline to comment today.

Tahvo added: 'I've had so many messages of support. People from Sweden, Finland, all over the world have told me they have seen Embla in Rome.

'One person told me he had seen on the streets since the end of the summer. It is heart-breaking.