One of the refugees detained at the Park Hotel immigration facility, where Novak Djokovic was previously held, said he was “very happy” for the tennis star, “because he does not deserve detention”.
Adnan Choopani, 24, arrived in Australian waters in 2013 after the government announced that no asylum seeker entering by boat would ever be allowed to stay.
Choopani was 15 years old when his family urged him to flee Iran.
More than 8 years later, he is still fighting for his freedom.
His case is currently pending in the Federal Circuit Court, with his lawyers claiming he should be allowed to live in the community until his removal to a third country.
Choopani says the men at the Park Hotel hope the world’s best tennis player will plead for their freedom after his release.
“We hope he won’t forget that we are both human first and foremost,” he said. “We have been subjected to humiliation from Australia in the same way they inflicted on him.”