"The UK must not lock up refugee children like I was when I arrived alone"

Ali Ghaderi told MPs that children should not be punished and put in "jail" for seeking safety, and warned against the psychological toll that the indefinite detention of young people will have if the government does what it wants

Ali Ghaderi has called on MPs to reject the government's cruel Illegal Migration Bill (

Image: Together with Refugees campaign group

A former refugee who arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied child is today begging MPs to reject cruel plans that could have seen him locked up indefinitely on arrival.

Ali Ghaderi said children should not be punished and put in "jail" for seeking safety, and warned of the devastating psychological toll young people in detention will take.

Ali, who fled religious and political persecution in his native Iran, told the Mirror that in his experience the UK is a kinder country than the migration bill suggests illegal. He called on politicians to reject him.

The activist, who arrived in the UK five years ago, said: 'The journey was difficult, it was terrifying because of what I had seen and what I had experienced , of what had happened to me and my friends.< /p>

"I can't imagine going through all these things and then going to a detention center. Imagine going through a lot and then being put in jail as a kid. That's against the humanity to place children in detention just to seek safety.

“They have not committed any crime, they are just trying to survive. There are no safe ways, punishment is not the best solution. Children are innocent, they are victims of those in power ."

More than 150 charities, religious leaders and health organizations have written to the PM (

Picture:

POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The House of Commons is set to discuss child detention, which is proposed today in Suella Braverman's controversial Illegal Migration Bill, and Ali hopes MPs will oppose it.

Last week, peers in the House of Lords voted to retain statutory caps on how long pregnant women and children can be detained - something the government wants removed. It sparks a bitter clash between ministers and backbench MPs who want to see changes to the draconian bill, part of Mr Sunak's desperate bid to stop small craft.

Ali - who has been in the UK for about five years - said it would be a step backwards to bring in this 'awful' legislation, saying: "We are sending them an unwelcoming message, I think it will affect their sanity."

He said...