Iranian was 15 when he arrived by boat in Australia seeking sanctuary. Despite formal recognition as a refugee he hasn’t been free since – he turned 24 on Friday

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Nine. Nine birthdays in detention. Mehdi reels them off : “Sixteen, 17, 18, 19 …”

“I’m 24 now,” he says in resignation. “I’m still here.”

This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.