Last week Ali appeared in an article outlining life in limbo for the 37,000 asylum seekers living in hotels, with the Kurdish Iranian lamenting that the only thing he longed for to ease the suffering was a book to read. Dozens of readers responded by offering books or book vouchers, while the University of Reading stepped forward to offer the 34-year-old a pass to its library. Ali, who crossed the Channel in a small boat in July 2021 after fleeing religious persecution in Iran, also revealed his dream was to study until he was allowed to work in the UK. The University of Reading is now reviewing its admissions process to offer Ali a place on a course and ways to waive the £90 fee for non-university members to withdraw books. “The reaction to the article has been amazing. The English are very kind and I received a lot of great messages, it was an amazing feeling for me,” Ali said. “I really appreciate it. I’ve also received some books which are great, at least I have something to do. “Someone queuing for the bus said, ‘Oh, you were in the paper, I know who you are!’ That was amazing.” The Refugee Council, which has contacted Ali, said the response from readers was in stark contrast to the government’s stance on small boat arrivals. The council’s director of fundraising, Tamsin Baxter, said: “We know from our work that many people in the UK want to support refugees and it was really encouraging to see how many readers reached out to Ali. “Hostile rhetoric can make life much more difficult for the people we work with. However, we find that the public often want to welcome refugees into our communities.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The emotional reaction comes amid growing tensions over the Home Office’s reliance on hotels to house asylum seekers for long periods. On Friday two English councils – Ipswich and the East Riding in Yorkshire – failed in attempts to block the relocation of asylum seekers to hotels in their areas. Reports on Saturday said eight other local authorities are also considering legal action against the Home Office over “unsafe” hotels for asylum seekers. Meanwhile, Stockport council has revealed that asylum seekers ‘crowded’ in a hotel faced an outbreak of scabies and ‘inhumane treatment’. Ali added: “I want people to understand the situation we are in. I hope my words will go some way towards ending the unfair criticism of all asylum seekers.”
