Sir Mo Farah ‘relieved’ he can CAN return to US as UK wins ‘Muslim ban’ assurances – but blasts Trump’s ‘divisive’ policy
SIR Mo Farah has said he is "relieved" he can return to his American home after it was revealed UK citizens would not be affected by Trump's new immigration policy
He was told last night he could safely return after Boris Johnson won assurances from Donald Trump’s team over US migration rules.
But the four time Olympic champion also blasted The Donald's reforms branding them "divisive and discriminatory".
A spokesman for the long distance runner said: "We understand from the statement released this evening by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the executive order will not apply to Mo, and we are grateful to the FCO for urgently clarifying the situation.
"Mo is relieved that he will be able to return to his family once his current training camp concludes."
The statement concludes saying the athlete still "fundamentally disagrees with this incredibly divisive and discriminatory policy".
The Foreign Office confirmed Brits travelling to the US will be exempt from the President’s Muslim visa ban.
Extra checks will only apply if people with dual nationality are travelling from one of the seven banned countries.
This means a UK—Libyan national flying in from Tripoli would face having to wait and undergo further checks.
UK nationals travelling from one of the seven banned countries would not be affected - even if it is the country of their birth.
And if you have dual citizenship from one of the banned countries but fly in from outside them, the order also doesn’t apply.
The assurances follow hours of top level transatlantic talks between Mr Johnson and Mr Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner.
A No 10 source said she was “absolutely determined” to respond to the fears of Britons about the ban.
Mr Johnson earlier pledged to “protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad”.
He branded the policy “divisive” saying it was “wrong” to “stigmatise” people based on their nationality.
Earlier today the British Olympic champion said he feared he would have to tell his four children that "Daddy might not be able to come home" as he slammed Trump's "Muslim ban" as being born of "ignorance and prejudice".
The Somalia-born athlete, who moved to Britain as a child, released a damning statement after it emerged the policy applies to people with dual citizenship.
The runner, who has a training base in Oregon, US, is a British passport holder but was born in Somalia – one of seven countries to which travel restrictions will apply.
In a statement released today he said: "I am a British citizen who has lived in America for the past six years - working hard, contributing to society, paying my taxes and bringing up our four children in the place they now call home.
"Now, me and many others like me are being told that we may not be welcome.
"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."
The full post was published on Mo's Facebook page, and has since been shared more than 75,000 times.
It is understood that Farah would not be booted out of the country if he were already in the US, but he is currently training in Ethiopia, meaning he may be unable to return home to his family while the ban is in place.
It was thought that he could find himself unable to leave – as he would not be allowed to re-enter for at least three months, until the temporary travel restrictions have been lifted.
Iraq-born Nadhim Zahawi is a member of the Conservative party and the MP for Stratford on Avon
A Tory MP and his wife are also among those affected by the travel ban.
Nadhim Zahawi, MP for Stratford-upon-Avon, today revealed he and his wife were both unable to travel to the US because they were born in Iraq.
He wrote on Twitter: “What if you are British of Iraqi origin, as I am? A sad sad day to feel like a second class citizen! Sad day for the USA.”
The politician later followed this up with a second post, tweeting: “Had confirmation that the order does apply to myself and my wife as we were both born in Iraq. Even if we are not dual Nat.”
The US president this week signed off an executive order denying people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia entry to the USA for 90 days.
But people travelling on passports from countries other than these who originally come from one of the list of banned countries could also be prevented from entering to the US, it emerged today.
That means Brits with dual nationality that had planned getaways to the US in the next three months could be set for holiday misery.
A US State Department official told the that people travelling on British passports would be turned away if they were found to also have citizenship of one of Trump’s blacklisted countries.
A statement from the US government quoted by the paper reads: “Travellers who have nationality or dual nationality of one of these countries will not be permitted for 90 days to enter the United States or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa.
“Those nationals or dual nationals holding valid immigrant or non-immigrant visas will not be permitted to enter the United States during this period.
“Visa interviews will generally not be scheduled for nationals of these countries during this period.”
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The revelation came as stories began to circulate about the first passengers to be turned away from the USA after the ban came into force.
Seven people – six Iraqis and a Yemeni – were stopped from boarding a flight from Cairo, Egypt, to New York today despite having valid visas to travel to America.
Dutch airline KLM also revealed it has had to turn away seven would-be passengers because they would no longer have been accepted into the US.
Donald Trump's list of countries that have travel restrictions placed on them
- Syria – Ravaged by civil war for nearly six years, the lawless country is the home base and training centre for a host of terror groups, including ISIS and the formerly Al Qaeda-linked Al Nusra Front.
- Iraq – Unstable since the 2003 US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, ISIS took over swathes of the country with ease in 2014, taking advantage of the sympathetic Sunni minority that made the same areas a breeding ground for Al Qaeda during the anti-West insurgency.
- Iran – A radical Islamist republic since the 1979 revolution – remembered by many in America for the hostage crisis after the country’s embassy in Tehran was stormed – Iran was branded “the foremost sponsor of terrorism in 2015” by the US State Department.
- Libya – Essentially a failed state since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has seen jihadi groups flourish in recent years, with between seven and nine radical organisations believed to be operating there, according to one US official.
- Somalia – Arguably the world most famous and longest-running failed state, with no effective government since 1991. Home to infamous jihadi group Al Shabbab.
- Sudan – Previously on the State Department’s list of terror sponsors and still a supporter of Palestinian terror group Hamas. Previously used as a transit point for Brit jihadis looking to travel to Syria.
- Yemen – A long-time haven for Al Qaeda and now with a growing ISIS presence since the country was carved in two by the recent civil war which broke out in 2014.
And it is understood that Google have recalled all their staff travelling abroad back to America over visa fears.
reports that a memo sent to Google’s staff stated that over 100 employees were affected by the situation.
The ban sparked panic yesterday when it came into effect at 4.30pm with many passengers left in legal limbo as to whether or not their valid visas would be accepted if they tried to enter the US.
Q&A
Which countries does the ban apply to and for how long? Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are blocked from entering the US for 90 days. All refugees are banned for 120 days and Syrian refugees are banned indefinitely. Why has President Trump brought in the ban? He wants to step up “extreme vetting” in a bid to stop terrorists entering the US. His executive order was titled: “Protecting the nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States.” What if you are British and have dual nationality with one of the seven banned nations? If you are travelling from Britain as a UK dual national, there is no restriction on you entering the US. If you are travelling from one of the countries affected, you may experience extra checks if a dual national, but you are not banned. What if I was born in one of the banned countries, or travelling to the US from there? If you are a UK national, the order still does not apply to you. Haven’t US judges stopped the ban? Judges imposed a temporary stay on those detained at US airports — allowing them to enter the country. But the rulings only affected people who had already arrived in the US or were in flight when the executive order was signed. What power does an executive order have? An order made by the US President at the stroke of a pen, without having to seek the approval of Congress, has the force of law. Who drew up the banning order? Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was asked by President Trump to draft up the order as a way of “legally” imposing a "Muslim ban". President Trump had promised a temporary ban on all Muslims while running for the White House. Will it become law? It remains to be seen what legal restrictions will be imposed after the 90-day and 120-day bans expire. What is Britain’s position? PM Theresa May has ordered Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd to raise concerns about the ban, leading to a clarification. Boris Johnson tweeted it was “divisive and wrong”.
Is Trump's 'Muslim ban' fair?
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