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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
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Jon Weeks and Rachelle Abbott

The Leader podcast: Mo Farah’s story and the reality of trafficking

Sir Mo Farah holding up a picture of himself as a child during the filming of the BBC documentary

(Picture: PA)

Thirty years after being illegally trafficked into the UK under the wrong name, Sir Mo Farah has finally revealed the story of how he came to the country.

In a BBC documentary the four-time Olympic gold winner revealed that he was trafficked from his home in east Africa to the UK at just nine years old and forced to work as a domestic servant.

He explains how he confided in his PE teacher, who helped him eventually move in with another family.

The story has prompted a lot of reaction, and we speak with Social Worker Lauren Starkey from anti-trafficking charity Love 146 and the charity’s Director of Services Imogen Spencer-Campbell about the impact his story will have.

And refugee and asylum specialist Louise Calvey explains the problems with processing those who’ve been trafficked into the country, and her hopes for change following Mo’s story.

For more information about child trafficking visit charity Love 146 here.

Listen here or here:

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