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Gary Lineker Is Welcoming A Second Refugee Into His Home In Surrey

Gary Lineker Is Welcoming A Second Refugee Into His Home In Surrey

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker took in a Pakistani student last year

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Gary Lineker has confirmed he'll be taking a second refugee into his home in Surrey after his 'wonderful' experience of taking a Pakistani student refugee into his house last year.

The Match of the Day host took in the student last year from Balochistan, a province of Pakistan, and is currently in the process of finalising the paperwork for a second refugee at the moment.

Lineker has spoken passionately on his desire to help refugees and those in need, and wants to use his considerable resources to do some good, choosing to help those fleeing terror and harm.

Speaking to The Sun, the England legend said: "The refugee thing, I will never be able to comprehend being attacked for wanting to help people who are being bombed, who are risking their lives jumping on dinghies because they're so desperate.

"How can anyone have a total lack of empathy for people in the most dire circumstances?

Alamy

"I was actually supposed to take another one a couple of weeks ago, but am just waiting on the paperwork. It wasn't just a one-off like the public perception was.

"It's genuine. I got a lot out of it, and it was just a wonderful experience."

Speaking to The Mirror in September 2020, Lineker said that - despite what some people have said to him on social media - he has absolutely no problem in offering his £4 million Surrey home to a refugee.

He said: "I have had so much connection with refugees over the last couple of years.

"I have met scores of young ­refugees through football schemes and they are genuinely lovely kids and they appreciate any help they can get.

"I'm sure it will be fine. I have been thinking of doing something like that for a while."

Alamy

"My kids are all grown up so I've got plenty of room so if I can help on a temporary basis then I'm more than happy to do so. Why not?

"I'm used to young men in my house, I have four lads in their 20s and believe you me, I'm sure they will behave better than my lot do. Bloody messy b*****s boys, aren't they?"

Lineker's campaigning on behalf of refugees started after he - like millions of others - was shocked and moved by the death of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi, who drowned off the coast of Greece in 2015.

Alamy

He said: "It was seeing the images of what was happening when they were going in the boats and landing in Greece, seeing families dying, it just struck me as so intolerably sad.

"I just thought we were going anti them with front pages with all this anti-refugee propaganda and I thought, put ­yourself in their shoes.

"Imagine if it was London that was being bombed and we had to flee somewhere and nobody would accept you and nobody would want us and everyone would hate you."

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Gary Lineker, SPORT, World News, UK News, Celebrity, UK Entertainment