'Give him his passport' - Hearn backs British champion's citizenship fight

ByKal Sajad

BBC Sport boxing journalist

The UK authorities should beryllium "embarrassed" that boxing champion Bilal Fawaz does not person a British passport aft surviving successful the state for much than 20 years, says his promoter Eddie Hearn.

Fawaz, 38, was trafficked to the United Kingdom astatine the property of 14 and has not travelled extracurricular the state since.

The London-based light-middleweight represented England arsenic an amateur earlier turning nonrecreational aft receiving a enactment permit.

He has since go British and Commonwealth champion, but his migration presumption prevents him from warring overseas - oregon taking his household connected holiday.

"What connected world is the hold-up?" asked Hearn.

"You privation to spell down to Number 10 [Downing Street] and bang connected the doorway and say: 'Any accidental of dealing with this?' It's the astir ridiculous happening I've ever heard.

"If you were them, you'd astir beryllium embarrassed. Someone should look astatine it and go, 'What are you guys doing? Give him his passport.'"

A Home Office spokesperson told BBC Sport it does not routinely remark connected idiosyncratic cases.

Fawaz's singular communicative is explored successful the caller BBC documentary Fighting for Freedom, which followed him arsenic helium prepared to support his British rubric against Ryan Kelly successful Wolverhampton successful May.

Born successful Nigeria to a Beninese parent and Lebanese father, Fawaz says his puerility was shaped by abuse, neglect and a persistent feeling helium did not belong.

He was sent to unrecorded with relatives earlier being taken to London, believing helium would beryllium reunited with his father. Instead, helium claims helium was confined successful a house, forced to enactment and prevented from attending schoolhouse oregon mixing with different children.

"My champion person was the window," helium says. "I could spot radical walking and kids extracurricular playing, but I wasn't allowed to play with them."

After escaping, helium entered the attraction strategy and received convictions for insignificant offences - including cannabis possession and graffiti - during his youth. Fawaz says helium was a susceptible teen who needed guidance alternatively than punishment.

"I've ne'er robbed anything," helium says. "I've ne'er beaten anyone up. I've ne'er done thing that's atrocious.

"I was conscionable a kid who needed guidance and I ne'er had that. Somebody should person taken attraction of maine and fixed my full beingness earlier I turned 18."

Fawaz recovered stableness astatine the All Stars Boxing Club successful westbound London. He became an English amateur champion and represented England six times, but was incapable to prosecute Olympic qualification oregon judge nonrecreational contracts due to the fact that helium did not person support to enactment oregon travel.

He was doubly held successful migration detention and threatened with deportation earlier a justice ruled determination were nary lawful grounds to detain him. He was released and recovered himself efficaciously stateless.

Fawaz received a enactment licence astatine the property of 33, by which constituent galore nonrecreational fighters are approaching retirement.

After turning nonrecreational helium made up for mislaid clip by beating Junaid Bostan to triumph the English light-middleweight title, past defeating Ishmael Davis to go British and Commonwealth champion.

"Boxing saved me," helium says. "It's my addiction. Boxing gave maine the feeling that I merit more. I've worked hard. When volition I get the dues and respect that I deserve?"

The documentary follows Fawaz wrong the gym and astatine location with his family, arsenic good arsenic connected the dancefloor during 1 of his regular salsa sessions.

It besides explores however his puerility has shaped him arsenic a father.

"The lone mode I tin capable the void is by being determination for my household and my sons," helium says. "That's healing."

Fawaz has a British spouse and British children, but says helium continues to consciousness arsenic though the authorities bash not recognise his publication to the country.

"I americium successful prison," helium says. "I've been successful this state for 24 beauteous years and I've ne'er travelled. I was being used. 'Fight for us... but you're not British'. I fought for them six times arsenic an amateur. I was bleeding successful the ring.

"They don't presumption maine arsenic important oregon idiosyncratic who is trying to marque an honorable living. I americium a Commonwealth champion who tin ne'er instrumentality my loop to different country."

Fawaz is connected a 10-year 'route to settlement' and volition beryllium 43 earlier becoming eligible for British citizenship.

Under this route, radical indispensable implicit 10 years of lawful residence earlier applying for indefinite permission to remain. The granting of that presumption allows them to enactment successful the UK without migration restrictions.

British citizenship tin past beryllium applied for - if applicable requirements are met.

The UK has shorter colony routes, including five-year routes disposable to radical who conscionable the requirements of definite migration categories.

The way idiosyncratic follows depends connected the ground of their migration presumption and their idiosyncratic circumstances, including factors specified arsenic household life, work, magnitude of residence and backstage beingness successful the UK.

It is not wide whether the 10-year way was the lone enactment disposable to Fawaz oregon wherefore that way applied successful his case.

The Home Office antecedently said the determination to spot Fawaz connected a 10-year way to colony was not made by the department.

Without a passport, Fawaz cannot judge perchance lucrative fights successful countries specified arsenic Saudi Arabia oregon the United States. He can, however, instrumentality up specified opportunities successful the UK.

He believes helium could already person go a satellite champion had helium received a passport successful his aboriginal 20s.

"The authorities are denying him that opportunity, which is truthful wrong," says Hearn, who would besides basal to payment from being capable to get Fawaz fights overseas.

"I could get him a large combat successful America. I could get him a combat successful Saudi. This is simply a communicative that resonates successful immoderate portion of the world. How tin you not beryllium allowed to travel?"

If you person been affected by immoderate of the issues raised successful this communicative you tin sojourn BBC Action Line.