Sir Mo Farah and I have a lot in common. We were both born in Somaliland. And we both lost half of our family members during The Isaaq genocide. But unlike Mo, who has just revealed that his real name is Hussein, I was holding my mum’s hand when I landed safely back in the UK. Sadly this is not the story for Sir Mo. He has told the BBC that he was trafficked into the UK on the passport of someone else, something I know happened to countless young Somalis in the late 80s and the early 90s.
Many of those trafficked ended up with family members who were waiting for them here. But others like Mo ended up being taken advantage of. One thing I have learnt as a child refugee and FGM survivor is that there are always evil people. And they know the legal loopholes to help those trying to get away with human rights violations. When parents would have done anything to get their kids to safety, traffickers saw an opportunity to make money.
