ir Mo Farah says he is “relieved” that the Home Office has no plans to take action against him after he made the shocking revelation that he was illegally brought to the UK as a child.
The four-time Olympic champion, 39, said there were many people to whom he “owed my life” and who had given him the “strength” to talk about his past.
Sir Mo has revealed in a BBC documentary titled The Real Mo Farah how he was brought to Britain from England Somalia illegally, after he took another child’s name, after his father was killed in the civil war.
He was later helped to obtain British citizenship by his PE teacher Alan Watkinson, while still using the name Mohamed Farah.
The UK Home Office has the power to legally deprive individuals of their UK citizenship if it is found to have been obtained illegally.
But the department has since said it would not take any action against the athlete.
A spokesperson for No. 10 said of the Olympic champion: “He is a sporting hero, he is an inspiration to people across the country.
“It is a shocking reminder of the horrors people face when trafficked. And we must continue to deal with these criminals who are taking advantage of vulnerable people.”
When asked whether the Home Office would take action against Sir Mo, he replied: “Absolutely not.
“I think the Home Office has been very clear that no action will be taken against Sir Mo and that is in line with guidelines.”
Asked in a BBC interview how he felt about the government’s response, Sir Mo said: “I feel relieved”.
“This is my country, without Alan (Watkinson) and the people who supported me during my childhood, I might not even have had the courage to do this.
“There are a lot of people who have been very supportive throughout my career, especially my wife, and who have given me the strength to come up and talk about it and tell me it’s okay to do this.”
It comes after the metropolitan police said it is “assessing” Sir Mo’s allegations that he was smuggled into the UK as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant.
The Met Police said in a statement: “We are aware of media reports about Sir Mo Farah.
“There are currently no reports to the MPS (the Metropolitan Police Service).
“Specialized officers are currently reviewing the information available.”
Figures from the political world praised Sir Mo as “truly inspiring” and a “great Brit” after revealing he was trafficked to the UK as a child.
Tory leadership hopeful Nadhim Zahawi praised Sir Mo as a “truly inspiring” role model after the revelations and reflected on his own experiences of “fleeing” Iraq as a child. Likewise, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted his support for the Olympian.
“Everything Sir Mo has survived proves that he is not only one of our greatest Olympians, but a truly great Briton,” he said.
Following the shocking announcement, Sir Mo said he is “very proud” of the documentary, which has allowed him to “explain and learn about his past and his journey to Britain”.
The Real Mo Farah airs on BBC iPlayer at 6am on 13th July and on BBC One at 9pm.