Bilal Fawaz: British light-middleweight champion fighting for a British passport

Fawaz has a 10-year ‘settlement pathway’ and will be 43 before he becomes eligible for British citizenship.

According to this method, people must complete 10 years of legal residence before applying for an indefinite stay permit. Granting this status allows them to remain in the UK without immigration restrictions.

British citizenship can then be applied for if the relevant requirements are met.

There are shorter settlement routes in the UK, including five-year routes available to people who meet the requirements of certain immigration categories.

The route a person takes depends on their immigration status and their individual circumstances, including factors such as family life, work, length of residence and private life in the UK.

It is not clear whether the 10-year route was the only option available to Fawaz, or why that route was taken in his case.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs had previously said that the decision to place Fawaz on the 10-year settlement path was not made by the ministry.

Without a passport, Fawaz cannot accept potentially lucrative fights in countries like Saudi Arabia or the United States. However, England can benefit from such opportunities.

He believes that if he had gotten a passport in his early 20s, he would have become a world champion already.

“The government is denying him this opportunity, which is very wrong,” says Hearn, who would also benefit from Fawaz’s fights being fought abroad.

“I can get him a big fight in America. I can get him a fight in Saudi Arabia. It’s a story that resonates all over the world. How can you not be allowed to travel?”

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