It is now clear that a Somali referee is out of the FIFA World Cup, as a week prior to its opening he was denied entry to the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Monday that a Somali individual who was flying in from Istanbul to Miami International Airport on Saturday was denied entry to the United States, “following additional questioning and concerns raised by the inspection and vetting process.”
The agency confirmed the denied entry but would not identify the individual; however, Artan is the only referee from Somalia selected for the World Cup officials and will no longer be included in the official personnel assigned for the matches.
FIFA confirmed that Artan “will not be attending nor will he be part of any training, or serve as an official during the World Cup.” FIFA released a statement explaining that “the U.S. Authorities confirmed that they will not modify their decision,” and that all decisions regarding visas and entry requirements are entirely the responsibility of the host country.
CBP explained this is normal protocol as all individuals traveling to America (officials, players, staff) are screened: “A CBP officer makes an admissibility determination for every individual who arrives in the U.S.” The CBP bases its evaluation of a traveler’s admissibility on security and immigration information on the individual.
With the World Cup taking place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico with additional participants, it appears difficult to handle the officials.
With all officials arriving at designated cities in preparation for the competition later in the week, FIFA’s plan to work with Artan during the preparation phase has come to a halt.
