The United States has refused entry to a top Somali referee scheduled to take part in the FIFA World Cup, raising concerns about Washington’s travel restrictions and the impact on the tournament.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Al Jazeera on Monday that Omar Altan was not allowed to enter the country after arriving in South Florida on Saturday.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
Artan, who is one of 52 FIFA World Cup referees, “was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in an email, without providing further details.
However, Artan’s arrival in the United States suggests that he had a valid visa before traveling.
Somalia is on President Donald Trump’s travel ban list. The president has often disrespected the African country and its people. Late last year, he sparked outrage by calling Somali immigrants living in the United States “trash.”
Altan, one of Africa’s top referees, was scheduled to become the first Somali to officiate a World Cup match.
The entry denial is the latest controversy over U.S. travel policy and the World Cup, which is co-hosted by Mexico and Canada.
The Iranian national team has to stay in Mexico due to visa issues. Players will be allowed to arrive in the United States to play the game, but must then return to their home base south of the border. Still, some team staff were denied U.S. visas outright.
Concerns have also been raised about federal agents harassing foreign nationals and targeting undocumented immigrants in and around stadiums.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani on Monday denounced the Trump administration’s plan to increase the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city during the convention.
His city plans to have fans at several games, including the finals in nearby New Jersey.
“There is no soccer without immigrants. Immigrants play the games, coach the games, work the stadiums, fill the stands, and make celebrations like the World Cup possible. Six of the players on the U.S. men’s national team are immigrants,” Mamdani wrote in a social media post.
“We will not allow ICE or anyone else to instill fear in our communities, especially at this time. As the world comes to our cities, we stand proudly with our immigrant neighbors and reject these attacks for what they are: attempts to divide us.”
On Monday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the travel ban after Artan was denied entry.
“Our country should not ban anyone from our shores simply because of their race or ethnicity, and that is especially true of coaches, referees and others participating in the World Cup,” CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell told Al Jazeera.
“Visitors from Somalia go through the same vetting process that any other visitor goes through. Once they pass that thorough vetting process, there is no reason to ban them from our country simply because of their nationality. To do so is an affront to our values and our laws.”
FIFA, which awarded Trump its first peace prize last year, did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
DHS indicated that participation in the World Cup, including players, coaches and staff, will not affect inspections or decisions by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at airports or border crossings.
“Admission decisions are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” a DHS spokesperson said.
“CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility in accordance with U.S. law.”
In an interview with Al Jazeera in Mogadishu earlier this year, Artan said he was “honored” to be on football’s brightest stage despite Somalia’s hardships and civil war.
The referee added that due to the explosion in the country, the route to a local stadium had to be changed.
“As a referee you can’t give up. You have to have a goal. I had a goal, but it wasn’t an easy job,” he said.
“We have to keep going and if we want to go to places like the World Cup we have to fight.”
