Beijing time (CEST) on June 10, a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official revealed that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan's visa was denied due to his suspected connections with members of terrorist organizations. The US determined that he did not meet relevant entry standards.

An anonymous official stated that CBP obtained relevant derogatory information during subsequent vetting. The core finding was that Artan is suspected of having contacts with members of suspected terrorist organizations, which was the primary reason for the US denial of entry and initiation of expedited deportation procedures. The official reiterated: "This individual attempted to enter the United States. Following CBP's thorough vetting, derogatory information was identified, including his connections with members of suspected terrorist organizations."

This statement reveals new details about Artan's visa denial. Artan was named CAF's best male referee for 2025 and was expected to become the first Somali referee to officiate a FIFA World Cup match. However, he was denied entry after arriving in Miami on June 6.

Hours before this incident, Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House FIFA World Cup task force, stated at an event in Washington that the US had "sufficient grounds" to deny the referee's entry but did not disclose specific reasons at that time.

Giuliani said he had communicated with relevant officials from the US Department of Homeland Security and CBP, and that these departments informed him the decision had "very sufficient grounds."

Somalia insists that Artan held a valid US visa. Somalia is included on the list of countries subject to immigration restrictions by the Trump administration based on national security considerations.

Related Reading

[Report: Somali Referee Artan Denied Entry to US, May Miss FIFA World Cup]

[Report: FIFA Confirms Somali Referee Will Miss FIFA World Cup, Decision Entirely Up to Host Country]

[Somali Referee Artan: I'm Just a Referee, Yet I Was Interrogated for 11 Hours Upon US Entry]

[African Reporter: Somali Referee Artan, Denied US Visa, Could Go to Canada to Officiate Matches]

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.