A leading Somali football referee has been denied entry into the United States despite being selected to officiate at the FIFA World Cup, raising fresh questions about the impact of US immigration policies on international sporting events.
Omar Artan, one of FIFA’s 52 appointed referees for the tournament, was reportedly turned away after arriving in South Florida on Saturday. The decision was confirmed by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which said Artan had been found inadmissible following a vetting process.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, a DHS spokesperson said Artan was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry,” but did not provide further details about the reasons behind the decision.