British Olympian 'exempt' from US travel ban

  • 30/01/2017
Sir Mo Farah winning gold (supplied)
Sir Mo Farah winning gold (supplied)

One of the world's best athletes faced the real possibility of not being able to return to his family and home in the USA.

Sir Mo Farah, who lives in Portland, Oregon but was born in Somalia, posted on Facebook to vent his concern after Donald Trump's immigration crackdown meant nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen couldn't enter the US for 90 days.

Stopping Mr Farah from returning to his kids, he wrote: 

"It's deeply troubling that I will have to tell my children that Daddy might not be able to come home - to explain why the President has introduced a policy that comes from a place of ignorance and prejudice," he said.

Shortly after his concern was raised he was comforted by the assurance from the Foreign Office saying British nationals were exempt from the ban. Mr Farah has dual nationality.

"Mo is relieved that he will be able to return to his family once his current training camp concludes," said a spokesman for the runner.

"However, as he said in his earlier statement, he still fundamentally disagrees with this incredibly divisive and discriminatory policy."

Newshub.