Mo Farah Reveals Trafficking Ordeal and False Identity in England
Sir Mo Farah has publicly revisited a childhood he long kept private. The Olympian spoke about being trafficked to England at age nine.
Early life and trafficking
Born Hussein Abdi Kahin, he was sent away as a child during Somalia’s civil war. His father, Abdi, died in the late 1980s from shrapnel while tending cattle.
His mother, Aisha, sent him and his twin, Hassan, to live with an uncle in Djibouti. In 1993 a woman posing as his mother brought him to the UK.
False identity and domestic servitude
He arrived under a false identity and was registered as Mohamed Farah. The real Mohamed Farah remains in Somalia and has never lived in the UK.
In Britain he was forced into domestic work. Tasks included cleaning, cooking and caring for children.
School, discovery and safeguarding
He was kept from school for two years. At 11 he began attending Feltham Community College in south-west London.
Staff noticed poor care and behavioural problems. PE teacher Alan Watkinson learned the truth and involved social services.
Kinsi, the mother of a Somali schoolfriend, took him in. He lived with that family for seven years.
Nationality, legal issues and public disclosure
At 14 he was selected for an English schools team for Latvia. Authorities discovered he lacked travel documentation.
Those events led to efforts to secure British citizenship. Later legal advice said that citizenship had been obtained by fraud or misrepresentation.
He first revealed the trafficking publicly in 2022 in a BBC documentary. The disclosure, often described as Mo Farah Reveals Trafficking Ordeal, also highlighted his False Identity in England.
Reunions and family
He reconnected with his mother after she sent him her telephone number years earlier. He later visited Somaliland to meet her.
He was reunited with his twin brother Hassan, who is believed to work as a telecoms engineer in Somalia. His wife, Tania, learned the full story while preparing for their 2010 wedding.
Athletic success and coping
Running became his refuge. He won double Olympic gold in 2012 and repeated the feat in 2016.
He has said running saved him and helped him cope with trauma. Since going public, he reports widespread support.
Advice and support
Charities and members of the public rallied after his disclosure. He has encouraged others to speak out about trafficking and modern slavery.
If you suspect someone is a victim, do not confront them. Instead contact the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700.
Other reporting options include the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority on 0800 432 0804 and Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Filmogaz.com will continue to follow developments around his story and the wider discussion it has prompted.
