US confirms it denied entry to Somali referee set to take part in World Cup
Key takeaways
- DHS says award-winning referee Omar Artan was ‘determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns’ after arriving in Miami.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Al Jazeera on Monday that Omar Artan was not allowed into the country after arriving in South Florida on Saturday.
- Artan, who is listed as one of FIFA’s 52 World Cup referees, was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry”, a DHS spokesperson said in an email, without providing further details.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
DHS says award-winning referee Omar Artan was ‘determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns’ after arriving in Miami.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Referee Omar Artan signals a penalty during the CAF Champions League final in in Rabat, Morocco, on May 24 [Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP Photo]By Ali Harb Published On 8 Jun 20268 Jun 2026The United States has denied entry to a top Somali referee who was set to participate in the FIFA World Cup, raising concerns about Washington’s travel restrictions and their impact on the tournament.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Al Jazeera on Monday that Omar Artan was not allowed into the country after arriving in South Florida on Saturday.