Sheffield Passport Boy Allowed Home

10 September 2018, 15:40 | Updated: 10 September 2018, 15:43

A British boy stranded in Belgium after the Home Office revoked his passport has been given the papers he needs to return home.

The British Embassy has issued a travel document which will allow Mohamed Bangoura to fly to Manchester before travelling home where he lives with his mother.

Mohamed, six, had been spending the holidays with family friends in Brussels but was prevented from boarding a plane back to the UK two weeks ago.

Belgian officials had reportedly said that Mohamed's passport had been revoked by the Home Office, leaving the British-born youngster unable to return home.

On Monday, however, Mohamed was outside the British Embassy in Brussels clutching the travel documents that would allow him to return to his mother in the UK.

When asked by a reporter where he was going, his reply was: "Home".

When Mohamed was denied passage to the UK, the Home Office had said: "A letter was sent to Mohamed's mother in March advising her that her son's passport had been revoked.

"We understand that, despite this, Mohamed was taken out of the UK in July and last Sunday was unable to re-enter as he did not hold a valid passport.

"We have now contacted Mohamed's mother to inform her that her son is being issued with emergency travel documents to allow him to travel to the UK."

The Independent previously reported that Mohamed's claim to British citizenship had been in doubt because neither Ms Keita - who is originally from Guinea but now lives in Sheffield - or her husband were settled in Britain when he was born.

Since 1983, children born in the UK are only eligible for British citizenship if at least one of their parents is a British citizen or is living in the UK with permission to remain permanently.

Because of her nationality, Ms Keita could not travel to Belgium to be with Mohamed because it would have required another visa.