After troubled World Cup lead-in, UN human rights chief urges 'rethink' of US immigration policy
Yahoo • • sports
Key Points:
- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged a "massive rethink" of immigration policies in the U.S. ahead of the World Cup, citing concerns about racial profiling, surveillance, and immigration enforcement.
- Several incidents have raised alarms, including Iran's team being moved from Arizona to Mexico, Iranian officials denied U.S. visas, a Somali referee refused entry to Miami, and a Senegal player being frisked at an airport.
- Türk emphasized that global sports events like the World Cup should foster unity and peace, calling for a dignified and safe environment for teams, fans, and society at large.
- Fans from countries such as Morocco and Scotland have reported visa denials or revocations shortly before travel, despite FIFA's 2017 bidding rules mandating non-discriminatory visa processing.
- The U.S. cited terrorism links as the reason for denying entry to Somali referee Omar Artan, though no evidence was provided; FIFA was unable to intervene despite close ties with U.S. officials.