Sir Mo Farah, who recently announced his retirement from track and field events, revealed how he, as a child, was trafficked into the United Kingdom, in a recent BBC documentary dubbed ‘The Real Mo Farah.’
In the documentary, Farah discussed how he was illegally brought to the UK under a different name and was forced to work as a domestic worker.
The truth is, I’m not who you think I am,” Farah said in the documentary.
Mo Farah: My name is Hussein Abdi Kahin and I was brought illegally to the UK under another child’s name.
The British star who has claimed Olympic, World and European championships at both the 5,000 and 10,000 metre disciplines revealed that his real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin and the woman who flew him from Djibouti to Britain, when he was only nine years old, forced him to adopt the name of another child called Mohamed Farah.
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The real story is that I was born in Somaliland, northern Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin. Despite what has been said in the past, my parents never lived in the UK,” Farah revealed.
“When I was four years old, my father died in the civil war and my family was divided.
“I was separated from my mother and brought illegally to the UK under the name of another child called Mohamed Farah.
“I often think of the other Mohamed Farah, the boy whose place I took on that plane. I really hope he’s OK,”
Mo Farah was threatened and forced to work as a nine-year-old if he wanted to eat
Upon his arrival in Britain, Farah, who thought he would be living with relatives, had his papers taken away and shredded by the woman he was travelling with on the plane.
“I had my relatives’ contacts, but once we got to their house in Hounslow (West London), the lady took them from me, tore them up in front of me and threw them in the bin. That’s when I realised I was in trouble,” Farah said of the incident.
Farah was also threatened by the woman and was forced to look after other children and do household chores if “he wanted to have food in his mouth”.
“She would tell me ‘if you ever want to see your family again, don’t say anything’. I would often lock myself in the bathroom and cry,” Farah explained.
How did Mo Farah escape from domestic servitude in Britain?
Farah was kept out of school by his exploitative family until he was 12 years old.
He managed to escape the nightmare by explaining his reality to his gym teacher at Feltham Community College, Alan Watkinson, who found him a home and helped him obtain British citizenship after “a long process” that “was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation”.
Mo Farah to the BBC: I want to feel like a normal person and not like someone who is hiding something
Farah also detailed that he wanted to come clean about his past, especially to his kids, which is why he decided to open up on the documentary.
“I kept it to myself for a long time, but it’s hard when you’re face to face with my kids and they often ask me ‘dad, how was that?’ You always have answers for everything, but you don’t have one for that.,” Farah explained.
That’s the main reason why I’m explaining my story. I want to feel like someone normal and not like someone who is hiding something.
“What really saved me, what made me different, was that I could run.”
