O United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human RightsVolker Türk, indicated that Washington needs “deeply rethink” the application of its migration policy during the football World Cup. The speech takes place at a time of growing tension, with official competition participants barred two United States.
“I sincerely hope that deeply rethink how immigration control measures affect human rights and human dignity and that, especially on the eve of the World Cup, they are political magazines that, unfortunately, we have seen prevail, especially in the United States”, he declared to journalists.
Referee prevented
On Monday (8), the after being denied entry into the United States, even though the referee had a valid visa for the country. Artan plays in the Somali league and was named best referee of the year by the African Football Confederation in 2025. The judge should be the first from Somalia to play in a FIFA World Cup.
O The reason for being denied entry was not clarified by the border policewhich only cited issues linked to its antecedents. “At the end of the inspection, the traveler, a World Cup referee, was deemed inadmissible due to questions related to checking your background and was denied entry into the territory,” added the agency linked to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
A FIFA highlighted that it did not have the capacity to influence the decisionwhich, according to the Federation, is the exclusive responsibility of the United States, one of the host countries of the World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada. “FIFA does not intervene in the host country’s immigration processes, including the granting of visas, and authorities have informed it that Artan’s situation will not change for the time being,” the spokesperson said.
A Somalia is one of several countries whose citizens are subject to travel restrictions to the United Statess imposed by President Donald Trump’s government. At the end of November, the American president classified the country as a “rotten country” and expressed his intention to end the special status that protects Somali citizens from deportation.
War in the Cup
Another participant whose participation in the World Cup was affected by North American politics was Iran, currently at war with the United States. The Iranian national team players needed and being able to enter the country and compete in the competition.
All of Iran’s group stage matches are in the US; the first two games will be in Los Angeles and the third in Seattle. The Iranians qualified early for the World Cup, but the participation of the country’s team was uncertain for a long time due to the conflict of the country with the United States and Israel.
Doubts about the granting of visas led the Iranian team to change your training baseinitially scheduled for Tucson (Arizona), for Tijuana, Mexico, despite playing in the group stage in the United States.
The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) also accused the United States ofon Tuesday (9). “Less than three days before the start, the United States once again prevents Iranian fans from attending matches of the group stage of the selection”, stated FFIRI.
The statement talks about FIFA regulations, which indicate that 8% of tickets for each match played go to the federations of the countries in play, which can be sold or distributed to fans. “However, unexpectedly, the quota guaranteed to the Iranian Football Federation was withdrawn”, highlights the entity, which declares itself “unable to provide any tickets to Iranian fans”.
Rigorous magazines
A video circulating on social media on Tuesday (9) shows her traveling to the United States to participate in the World Cup. THE procedure took place on the plane’s own runwaywith police officers using metal detectors in a head-to-toe inspection of players.
In addition to the Senegalese team, the delegation from Uzbekistan would also have been received with sniffer dogs and searched with the same rigor upon arriving in the USA to play a friendly against the Netherlands.
*with information from AFP
