Actor Idris Elba to receive Sierra Leone passport on Christmas

Film actor Idris Elba is set to receive citizenship and celebrate Christmas with the Sierra Leone President, Julius Maada Bio, after he arrived for his first visit to his father’s native home.

The British-born star landed in the seaside capital Freetown to a small crowd on Wednesday, according to a government official who declined to be named.

Elba was born in London but his mother is from Ghana and his father from Sierra Leone, where he has expressed interest in investing in eco-tourism.

He is best is known for his roles in Marvel franchise films such as “Thor” and “The Avengers,” but is also a successful rapper and DJ. He was named People magazine’s “sexiest man alive” in 2018.

Sierra Leone’s Deputy Tourism Minister William Robinson told AFP that Elba planned to visit Sherbro Island — renowned for its pristine tropical beaches — and celebrate Christmas with President Julius Maada Bio.

The actor is expected to receive a Sierra Leonean passport before Christmas, said a government official who declined to be named.

The impoverished West African country is hoping to rekindle its tourism industry nearly two decades after the end of the civil war, which claimed some 120,000 lives