Fawaz Denied Passport After 20 Years In UK

British and Commonwealth welterweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light-middleweight champion Bilal Fawaz cannot fight abroad or take his family on vacation despite living in the UK for more than 20 years, a situation his promoter Eddie Hearn calls embarrassing for the government.

Fawaz, 38, was trafficked to London at age 14 and has not left the country since. He represented England six times as an amateur before turning professional at 33 with a work permit, per the BBC. His immigration status keeps him grounded even as he holds two major titles.

"You want to go down to Number 10 and bang on the door and say: 'Any chance of dealing with this?'" Hearn told the BBC. "If you were them, you'd almost be embarrassed."

Fawaz's Road To British Titles

Born in Nigeria and raised in an abusive household before being brought to the UK, Fawaz says he was confined and forced to work rather than attend school. After escaping into the care system, he found stability at the All Stars Boxing Club in west London and became an English amateur champion. Convictions for minor offenses as a teenager — cannabis possession and graffiti — complicated his path, though he maintains he needed guidance rather than punishment.

Since receiving his work permit, Fawaz captured the English welterweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light-middleweight title against Junaid Bostan and later won the British and Commonwealth straps by beating Ishmael Davis. A BBC documentary titled Fighting for Freedom, which aired this week, follows his preparation for a successful title defense against Ryan Kelly in Wolverhampton in May.

Fawaz is on a 10-year route to settlement and will not be eligible for British citizenship until he turns 43. The Home Office declined to comment on individual cases. Without a passport, Fawaz cannot accept fights in Saudi Arabia or the United States, limiting both his earning potential and Hearn's ability to showcase him on major international cards.

Source: bbc.co.uk