I was questioned for 11 hours, Somali referee denied entry to US
Omar Artan, who was set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match before being denied entry to the US, said he was questioned for 11 hours at Miami International Airport.
Speaking to The New York Times, the referee added border officials asked him why he had travelled to the US, and questioned him about Somali politics and the al-Shabab militant group.
He said he showed them FIFA documentation and photos from his refereeing career, before being put in a holding cell and sent back on a plane to Istanbul, where he had flown to the US from.
Artan told the NYT he was not given a reason for why he was refused entry to the US, and said he had the correct documents and visa.
“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup,” he added.
“I think that they have a problem with my country.”
The CBP said Artan was deemed inadmissible due to “vetting concerns”, but did not elaborate further on what the concerns were.
Source: Sky News
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