Sir Mo Farah says he is “relieved” the Home Office has no plans to take action against him, after revealing he was trafficked into the UK as a child.
In a BBC documentary titled The Real Mo Farah, the four-time Olympic champion said he was brought to the UK illegally from Somaliland under the name of another child and was forced to work as a domestic servant.
He was later helped to obtain UK citizenship by his school PE teacher Alan Watkinson.
The UK Home Office has the power to legally strip individuals of their British citizenship if it is found to have been obtained illegally, but the department has since said that it would be taking no action “whatsoever” against the athlete.
A Number 10 spokesperson said: “He is a sporting hero, he is an inspiration to people across the country.
“It is a shocking reminder of the horrors that people face when they are trafficked. And we must continue to clamp down on these criminals who take advantage of vulnerable people.”
Asked if the Home Office would be taking any action against Sir Mo, they continued: “Absolutely not.
“I think the Home Office has been very clear that no action whatsoever will be taken against Sir Mo and that is in line with the guidance.”
Asked during a BBC interview how he felt about the government’s response, Sir Mo said: “I feel relieved.
“This is my country, if it wasn’t for Alan (Watkinson) and the people that supported me throughout my childhood then maybe I wouldn’t even have the courage to be doing this.
“There’s a lot of people that have been very supportive, particularly my wife, throughout my career and gave me the strength to come and talk about it and telling me it’s ok to do this.”
It comes after the Metropolitan Police said its “specialist officers are currently assessing the available information” in Sir Mo’s case.
The Olympian previously said his children have motivated him to open up about his past.
“Family means everything to me and you know, as a parent, you always teach your kids to be honest, but I feel like I’ve always had that private thing where I could never be me and tell what’s really happened,” he said.
“I’ve been keeping it for so long, it’s been difficult because you don’t want to face it and often my kids ask questions, ‘dad, how come this?’ And you’ve always got an answer for everything, but you haven’t got an answer for that.
“That’s the main reason in telling my story because I want to feel normal and… don’t feel like you’re holding on to something.”
The Real Mo Farah will air on Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
