British youngster, 6, 'left stateless in Belgium as passport rejected'

A six-year-old boy has been left stranded and "stateless" in Belgium after he was denied permission to board a flight home, politicians have said.

Mohamed Bangoura who was born in Leeds, was travelling back to the UK with a family friend when his passport was discarded by Belgian authorities.

An MEP and MP have printed a joint letter to the Home Secretary calling for the boy's "imperative" return.

The Home Office said Mohamed's passport had been revoked as it was not applicable.

A spokeswoman added: "The Immigration Minister has asked officials to immediately look into all obtainable options in this case to reunite Mohamed with his mother."

His mother Hawa Keita said: "I am totally down, I can't observe my son because he is stuck in another country."

"It's the most terrible thing that a mother can endure."

MEP Catherine Bearder and MP Sir Ed Davey said Mohamed, who is due to start school in Sheffield on Monday, was returning from a summer holiday visiting family friends in Brussels.

In the letter, which the MEP posted on her Twitter account, the duo said the boy was "currently stateless and stuck" in the Belgian capital.

The politicians said: "All that matters is that we get a scared six-year-old back to his mother."

The Home Office said Mohamed's mother, who is originally from Guinea but now lives in Sheffield, was told by the Passport Office in March her son's passport "was no longer legal".

But Ms Keita "insists she never received a registered letter by courier or by email", the politicians continued.

Urging Sajid Javid for his "personal intervention", they said: "We feel it is imperative to get this child on a flight to Manchester right now."

"Whatever error has been made on whoever's side, we should bring this child home now and reunite him with his worried mother," the MP and MEP added.

Image captionHawa Keita was told by the Passport Office her son's passport "was no longer valid"

A Home Office spokeswoman said Mohamed was only entitled to British citizenship through his mother or her husband, but neither were established in the UK when he was born.

"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 legal passport," she added.

Immigration lawyer Julian Bild said it "seems very harsh to take away the passport the child is eventually entitled to".

"It's just incredible," he said. "Why on earth didn't the Home Office let the child back on his passport and sort it out back here?

"It's inconceivable the child was given no route to come back to the UK. The Law says the Home Office must act in the best interest of the child."