Why Edward Enninful and his family were detained upon first arrival in England

Editor-in-Chief of the British Vogue, Edward Enninful, has shared his poignant childhood memories of growing up in Ghana and the challenges he faced upon arriving in England.

In a candid conversation with The Diary of A CEO, a prominent YouTuber, Edward shared how his life took an unexpected turn when he and his siblings embarked on a journey to England, with their mother.

According to the editor, while at Gatwick Airport, he and his siblings were confronted with the harsh realities of immigration restrictions because they hadn't obtained the necessary documents, unaware that a visa was required for entry.

“We arrived at Gatwick Airport because we were detained because we didn't have the right papers. You know, before, you could come to England from any Commonwealth country without a visa. We didn't know you needed to sort it out a month before. We came anyway, and we were detained.

“I remember looking into the room and saying to my brothers, that ‘Oh my God, everyone is white’ and it was the strangest thing I had ever seen because in Ghana everyone is black, and I remember we decamped to Vauxhall to my aunt's flat,” he shared.

Following their detention, Enninful and his family settled in Vauxhall, where they faced numerous challenges and encountered racial prejudice regularly.

As a teenager, he found himself frequently stopped by law enforcement egencies due to racial profiling, an experience that left him feeling vulnerable and apprehensive.

He further stated that the necessity of attending school in Vauxhall further heightened his awareness of the stark disparities and biases that existed within society.

“I remember I was the first time I was stopped on those streets with my brothers because teenage black kids, they assume we are up to no good, and we had to go to school in Vauxhall Willaim and Bailey School, and it was just scary leaving the house, and my father was so traumatized by this country,” he disclosed.





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