London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Sir Mo Farah 'relieved' Home Office won't take action over citizenship

Sir Mo Farah 'relieved' Home Office won't take action over citizenship

Sir Mo Farah has said he is "relieved" that the Home Office will not take action against him after he revealed he was trafficked into the UK.

The Olympic star disclosed on Monday that his real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin, but he got British citizenship under the name Mohamed Farah.

Mohamed Farah was the name given to him by the people who brought him into the UK illegally.

The Home Office told BBC News it would not investigate Sir Mo.

"It makes me relieved," he said in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"This is my country. If it wasn't for [my PE teacher] Alan and the people who supported me throughout my childhood then maybe I wouldn't even have the courage to do this.

"There's a lot of people that I owe my life to - particularly my wife, who has been very supportive throughout my career, and who gave me the strength to come and talk about it, telling me it's okay to do this."

Legally, the government can remove a person's British nationality if their citizenship was obtained through fraud.

But a Home Office official told BBC News it would not take action over Sir Mo's nationality, as it is assumed children are not complicit when their citizenship is gained by deception.

Speaking about other victims of child trafficking, Sir Mo - a four-time Olympic champion for Team GB - told Today programme presenter Amol Rajan: "No child wants to be in that situation. I had the choice made for me, and so young. I'm just grateful for every chance I've got in Britain to embrace my country, and I'm proud to represent my country the way I did.

"That's all I could do within my control - I had no control when I was younger over where I went. That decision was made for me and taken away from me."

Sir Mo told the story of being trafficked in a documentary from BBC and Red Bull Studios, which airs on Wednesday but has been seen by BBC News.

As a teenager Sir Mo said he confided in his PE teacher, who helped him to be fostered by another family.

The teacher also helped him to obtain British citizenship and a passport so that Sir Mo could compete in international athletics competitions.

After receiving widespread praise for speaking out, Sir Mo told the Today programme: "I'm just happy to share what I've gone through and [has] made me the man I am today."

Sir Mo told the documentary that he wanted to tell his story to challenge public perceptions of trafficking and slavery.

"I had no idea there was so many people who are going through exactly the same thing that I did. It just shows how lucky I was," he says. "What really saved me, what made me different, was that I could run."

The woman who brought Sir Mo to London has been approached by the BBC for comment, but has not responded.


Watch: Sir Mo responds to the Home Office's response not to take action

Watch: Sir Mo Farah describes calling his mother after years of separation

WATCH: People know me as Mo Farah, but it's not my name


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
×