LONDON: British Olympian Sir Mo Farah shocked the nation this week after admitting that he had been illegally trafficked into the UK as a boy and worked as a domestic servant.

Sir Mo, 39, became a household name in Britain in 2012 after winning Olympic gold medals in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races. He stunned supporters when he repeated the feat in 2016.

But it is his origin in the UK that has attracted attention this week, because Mo Farah is not his birth name.

Born Hussein Abdi Kahin on March 23, 1983, in present-day Somaliland, he was trafficked from Djibouti to London aged 9 under the name of another child.

He has since adopted that name, which is how he is known in his sporting triumphs, but not before he endured life as a domestic laborer in London.

The Home Office, the British government department that handles immigration, has told BBC News that it will not investigate Sir Mo.

鈥淚t makes me relieved,鈥� he told BBC Radio 4鈥檚 鈥淭oday鈥� program. 鈥淭his is my country. If it wasn鈥檛 for (my physical education teacher) Alan and the people who supported me throughout my childhood then maybe I wouldn鈥檛 even have the courage to do this.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of people that I owe my life to 鈥� particularly my wife, who has been very supportive throughout my career, and who gave me the strength to come and talk about it, telling me it鈥檚 okay to do this.鈥�

Sir Mo has now made a documentary, titled 鈥淭he Real Mo Farah,鈥� about his experiences growing up, his journey to Olympic glory and his career since running.

鈥淚t was always my story. I wasn鈥檛 even comfortable enough to talk about it with my family. I couldn鈥檛 talk about it publicly,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t has taken me a long time to come to this, but I鈥檓 glad I鈥檝e made this documentary to show people the reality of what really happened to me as a child.鈥�

But as Sir Mo details his story and his arrival to Britain, a wider conversation about immigration laws in the country has been sparked by his revelations.

鈥淗ow generous,鈥� said The Independent鈥檚 Harriet Williamson, referring to the Home Office鈥檚 decision to not investigate the Olympian.

鈥淗ere鈥檚 the thing 鈥� no victim should ever be afraid they will be penalised for a crime committed against them.

鈥淏ut that鈥檚 where we are in Britain, in 2022, and Farah鈥檚 disclosures should force us to confront our attitudes towards people who come to this country as refugees, migrants or victims of human trafficking.鈥�

While Sir Mo gradually developed the courage to tell his story, he has delivered it at an opportune moment, as a national conversation on migrants crossing the English Channel and updated laws on nationality and borders continues to fill the airwaves.

His autobiographical film was released soon after the government launched its controversial Rwanda deportation scheme for people crossing the Channel, regardless of their immigration status, which has attracted swathes of legal challenges and rebukes from immigration groups.

Amid the governing Conservative Party鈥檚 leadership election, candidate Jeremy Hunt has said he will back an extension of the scheme, which is popular among the party鈥檚 grassroots.

But does this mentality of blocking and deportation risk preventing the arrival of future Mo Farahs?

Williamson thinks this is the wrong question to be asking. 鈥淯sing Farah鈥檚 achievements to justify him being welcome in the UK is part of the problem,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t fosters a culture of exceptionalism and taps into damaging narratives about 鈥榯he good immigrant,鈥� setting high bars for how immigrants and refugees should 鈥榚arn鈥� a place in Britain.

鈥淧eople deserve to be able to seek refuge and live in safety in this country, whether they win gold medals and entertain us 鈥� or not.鈥�

Regardless of what the government does next with its immigration laws, Sir Mo鈥檚 鈥淗ollywood鈥� story will likely give ministers and campaigners pause for thought.

But Jim White, a journalist who knows Sir Mo well and interviewed him regularly during his meteoric rise, wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the reflections will not all be positive.

鈥淭here is 鈥� one depressing reality that remains. Imagine how many children there are out there, some of them in similar circumstances to those in which he found himself, being horribly exploited in modern-day slavery,鈥� White said.

鈥淪adly the odds are stacked against any of them growing up into quadruple Olympic champions.鈥�