‘Staying here is intolerable’: the truth about asylum seeker hotels

Ali, who has been trapped in a hotel for nearly 500 days, tells of his frustration and his desire to contribute to society

Life in room 221 of the Berkshire hotel Ali has called home for the past 487 days is a drab affair, with an in-built guarantee that every day will be the same as the one before.

The food is repetitive, his fellow guests never leave, the streets of Reading rarely change. There is nothing to do. Nothing happens. All I want is an actual book to read but there are none here and there is no way I can afford them."