And they're off... first athlete claims asylum: African middle-distance runner held after disappearing from training camp
By STEPHEN WRIGHT, DAVID WILLIAMS and CHRIS BROOKE
PUBLISHED: 00:00, 26 July 2012 | UPDATED: 10:50, 26 July 2012
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An Olympic competitor has claimed political asylum in Britain, the Mail can reveal.
The man, believed to be a middle distance runner in his mid 20s from Africa, was being held by the UK Borders Agency last night after walking into a police station in Leeds and asking for asylum.
The claim comes at a hugely sensitive time for the government just two days before the showpiece Opening Ceremony.
Asylum claim: The man, believed to be an African middle-distance runner in his 20s, is now being questioned by UK Border Agency officials. File picture
It follows warnings from immigration officials that they fear up to 2 per cent of athletes, team officials and supporters may claim refuge in the UK during and after the Games or try to stay on once their visas expire.
But the claim even before competition has begun is said to have shocked both Border Agency officials and ministers as they prepare to host some 120 world leaders tomorrow, when London 2012 is opened by the Queen.
It is understood the athlete disappeared from a pre-Olympics training camp in order to claim asylum, just as he and his team was preparing to move to the athletes’ village in Stratford, East London.
The sportsman, whose identity was not revealed by the authorities, claimed he was a victim of persecution in his homeland and is due to be questioned this week.
Details of the claim emerged yesterday in the Olympic Village where one East African team official said he believed a second man - an Olympic official - was also preparing to seek asylum.
Last night a spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said a man who was ‘believed to be an Olympic athlete’ walked into Bridewell police station in Leeds on Tuesday.
She said he was believed to be ‘seeking asylum’ and added: ‘We did detain a man, but we didn’t arrest him. He was handed over to the UK Border Agency who are now dealing with it.’
The spokesman had no details of the man’s nationality and could not elaborate on the asylum situation.
Immigration officials were checking the man’s travel papers and Olympic accreditation documents as well as his movements since arriving in Britain.
They were trying to establish whether he has relatives already living in this country.
Sources said that after turning his back on his homeland, it was inconceivable he would now take part in the Olympics.
His whereabouts were unclear last night but Home Office sources suggested he was in ‘secure accommodation’ outside London while his case is investigated.
Police patrol the Athletes Village at the Olympic Park, London: Investigators have identified several countries where they 'expect' asylum claims from athletes
While they expected asylum claims, what has surprised officials is that the application was made before the athlete had competed - most claims at previous Olympics and Commonwealth Games have been made post competition.
Investigators have identified several countries where they ‘expect’ asylum claims from athletes and supporters given visas specifically to attend London 2012 - several are African and Middle Eastern.
Asylum claims are not unusal at Olympics and other sporting events.
At the 2002 Commonwealth more than 20 members of one West African country went ‘missing’ from their team camp and sought to stay-on in the UK while at one major games in Australia 22 competitors from five different African nations sought sanctuary.
Some groups supporting gay male and female athletes and officials have openly encouraged them to take advantage of being in the UK to claim asylum and seek protection from persecution in their home country.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2179037/First-Olympics-2012-athlete-claims-asylum-African-middle-distance-runner-held-police-Leeds.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... Leeds.html</a>
By STEPHEN WRIGHT, DAVID WILLIAMS and CHRIS BROOKE
PUBLISHED: 00:00, 26 July 2012 | UPDATED: 10:50, 26 July 2012
Comments (321)
Share
An Olympic competitor has claimed political asylum in Britain, the Mail can reveal.
The man, believed to be a middle distance runner in his mid 20s from Africa, was being held by the UK Borders Agency last night after walking into a police station in Leeds and asking for asylum.
The claim comes at a hugely sensitive time for the government just two days before the showpiece Opening Ceremony.
Asylum claim: The man, believed to be an African middle-distance runner in his 20s, is now being questioned by UK Border Agency officials. File picture
It follows warnings from immigration officials that they fear up to 2 per cent of athletes, team officials and supporters may claim refuge in the UK during and after the Games or try to stay on once their visas expire.
But the claim even before competition has begun is said to have shocked both Border Agency officials and ministers as they prepare to host some 120 world leaders tomorrow, when London 2012 is opened by the Queen.
It is understood the athlete disappeared from a pre-Olympics training camp in order to claim asylum, just as he and his team was preparing to move to the athletes’ village in Stratford, East London.
The sportsman, whose identity was not revealed by the authorities, claimed he was a victim of persecution in his homeland and is due to be questioned this week.
Details of the claim emerged yesterday in the Olympic Village where one East African team official said he believed a second man - an Olympic official - was also preparing to seek asylum.
Last night a spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said a man who was ‘believed to be an Olympic athlete’ walked into Bridewell police station in Leeds on Tuesday.
She said he was believed to be ‘seeking asylum’ and added: ‘We did detain a man, but we didn’t arrest him. He was handed over to the UK Border Agency who are now dealing with it.’
The spokesman had no details of the man’s nationality and could not elaborate on the asylum situation.
Immigration officials were checking the man’s travel papers and Olympic accreditation documents as well as his movements since arriving in Britain.
They were trying to establish whether he has relatives already living in this country.
Sources said that after turning his back on his homeland, it was inconceivable he would now take part in the Olympics.
His whereabouts were unclear last night but Home Office sources suggested he was in ‘secure accommodation’ outside London while his case is investigated.
Police patrol the Athletes Village at the Olympic Park, London: Investigators have identified several countries where they 'expect' asylum claims from athletes
While they expected asylum claims, what has surprised officials is that the application was made before the athlete had competed - most claims at previous Olympics and Commonwealth Games have been made post competition.
Investigators have identified several countries where they ‘expect’ asylum claims from athletes and supporters given visas specifically to attend London 2012 - several are African and Middle Eastern.
Asylum claims are not unusal at Olympics and other sporting events.
At the 2002 Commonwealth more than 20 members of one West African country went ‘missing’ from their team camp and sought to stay-on in the UK while at one major games in Australia 22 competitors from five different African nations sought sanctuary.
Some groups supporting gay male and female athletes and officials have openly encouraged them to take advantage of being in the UK to claim asylum and seek protection from persecution in their home country.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2179037/First-Olympics-2012-athlete-claims-asylum-African-middle-distance-runner-held-police-Leeds.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... Leeds.html</a>