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A letter to … Australia’s immigration minister from a refugee
I have been imprisoned for almost nine years, since I was 15, and have been told my life is in your hands. But when I write to you, I get no response.
In 2013, Mehdi Ali fled his home country, where he was a member of a persecuted ethnic minority, and made his way to Australia.
- Zoe Osborne
- Al Jazeera
He was 15 years old. But while he was crammed onto an old wooden boat enduring rough seas, terrifying storms and harsh tropical sun alongside other asylum seekers, the Australian government was making a series of deals that meant maritime arrivals would never be allowed to resettle in the country.
After his boat was intercepted by the…