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| Athlete Jimmy Thoronka 'fears homelessness' if sent home from UK | Athlete Jimmy Thoronka 'fears homelessness' if sent home from UK |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A Sierra Leonean athlete refused the right to stay in the UK has told the BBC he fears he will end up homeless if he returns to the African country after his family was wiped out by Ebola. | A Sierra Leonean athlete refused the right to stay in the UK has told the BBC he fears he will end up homeless if he returns to the African country after his family was wiped out by Ebola. |
| Jimmy Thoronka, 21, went missing after last year's Glasgow Commonwealth Games and was found sleeping rough in London. | Jimmy Thoronka, 21, went missing after last year's Glasgow Commonwealth Games and was found sleeping rough in London. |
| He applied to stay in the UK, but the Home Office rejected his application. | He applied to stay in the UK, but the Home Office rejected his application. |
| Now he says he fears detention or being forced back onto the streets if he returns to Sierra Leone. | Now he says he fears detention or being forced back onto the streets if he returns to Sierra Leone. |
| "I have no family, no house," he said. "The people I was living with have passed away from Ebola... I would be homeless." | "I have no family, no house," he said. "The people I was living with have passed away from Ebola... I would be homeless." |
| 'Plea rejected' | 'Plea rejected' |
| Mr Thoronka, described as Sierra Leone's top 100m runner, competed in one 4x100m relay heat at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. | Mr Thoronka, described as Sierra Leone's top 100m runner, competed in one 4x100m relay heat at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. |
| Mr Thoronka's adoptive mother was a nurse who contracted Ebola while she was working. She died while he was competing in Glasgow and infected the rest of her family. | Mr Thoronka's adoptive mother was a nurse who contracted Ebola while she was working. She died while he was competing in Glasgow and infected the rest of her family. |
| Mr Thoronka was later arrested after being found in London and warned he faced deportation. He launched a bid to stay in the UK on human rights grounds. | Mr Thoronka was later arrested after being found in London and warned he faced deportation. He launched a bid to stay in the UK on human rights grounds. |
| The University of East London (UEL) said it would offer him a place on a foundation degree course if he was granted a visa to stay in the UK. A number of local business offered him help setting up a new life in the capital and a fundraising website was set up. | |
| But the Home Office rejected his plea to stay and said he could only appeal once he had left the UK. | But the Home Office rejected his plea to stay and said he could only appeal once he had left the UK. |
| Speaking from north London, Mr Thoronka said he had cried all night after being told by the Home Office his application had been refused and feared his career would be put in jeopardy if he returned home. | Speaking from north London, Mr Thoronka said he had cried all night after being told by the Home Office his application had been refused and feared his career would be put in jeopardy if he returned home. |
| "If I go back home, where am I going to stay? Who is going to help me, who can sponsor me for my training?" | "If I go back home, where am I going to stay? Who is going to help me, who can sponsor me for my training?" |
| He said he felt lucky to be alive after his adoptive mother's death. | He said he felt lucky to be alive after his adoptive mother's death. |
| "I am thinking that I shouldn't be here... I should have died," he said. | "I am thinking that I shouldn't be here... I should have died," he said. |
| 'Back to zero' | 'Back to zero' |
| He added: "Before I was hoping that things were becoming better and better, and now everything has gone to back to zero for me... I don't know what to do." | He added: "Before I was hoping that things were becoming better and better, and now everything has gone to back to zero for me... I don't know what to do." |
| Friends of the athlete say he does not intend to break immigration rules, which could see him barred from the country for 10 years. | Friends of the athlete say he does not intend to break immigration rules, which could see him barred from the country for 10 years. |
| But they hope ministers may intervene to overturn the decision. | But they hope ministers may intervene to overturn the decision. |
| Dusty Amroliwala, UEL's deputy vice-chancellor and chief operating officer, said Mr Thoronka was a "very special young man" and he was "deeply saddened" by the situation. | Dusty Amroliwala, UEL's deputy vice-chancellor and chief operating officer, said Mr Thoronka was a "very special young man" and he was "deeply saddened" by the situation. |
| 'Required thresholds' | 'Required thresholds' |
| "Jimmy's story - his struggle against huge adversity, his determination to succeed, his fortitude, all in the face of losing his family for a tragic second time in his young life - these things all marked him out as being a very special young man," he said. | "Jimmy's story - his struggle against huge adversity, his determination to succeed, his fortitude, all in the face of losing his family for a tragic second time in his young life - these things all marked him out as being a very special young man," he said. |
| "He was exactly the kind of individual to whom UEL would wish to extend the hand of support and we are deeply saddened that we are no longer allowed to do so." | "He was exactly the kind of individual to whom UEL would wish to extend the hand of support and we are deeply saddened that we are no longer allowed to do so." |
| A Home Office spokesman said: "All applications for a visa or leave to remain are considered on their individual merits and in line with the immigration rules. | A Home Office spokesman said: "All applications for a visa or leave to remain are considered on their individual merits and in line with the immigration rules. |
| "Mr Thoronka's claim did not meet the required thresholds within the immigration rules." | "Mr Thoronka's claim did not meet the required thresholds within the immigration rules." |