I have right papers and visa - barred referee Artan

Omar Artan refeered at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Somali referee Omar Artan says he was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview before being denied entry to the United States for the World Cup despite holding the "right papers" and "right visa". Artan, who was set to be the first Somali to referee at a World Cup finals, was dropped from the list of officials on Monday after he was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport. No reason for Artan's repatriation has been issued , but Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced 's administration. A Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan's diplomatic passport had been issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties. "I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa," said Artan. Following the 11-hour immigration interview, Artan said he was then taken to a separate holding cell where he was detained for several hours before being put on a flight back to Istanbul, Turkey. Speaking to BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said: "While I can't go into the derog [derogatory information] on that I can tell you it was the right decision I support that decision." It would not be possible for Artan to stay outside the United States and only referee matches played in Canada or Mexico. Referees' chief Pierluigi Collina has created a training hub for the tournament's 52 referees and 88 assistant referees in Miami. All on-pitch officials must stay at the base in Florida for training, preparation and security. In December, Trump told reporters he does not want Somali immigrants in the US, and they should "go back to where they came from". "I think that they have a problem with my country," Artan added. Who is the Somali referee barred from entering the US for the World Cup? This video can not be played Omar Artan was dropped from the list of officials despite having a diplomatic passport The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July. An official in the Somali National League, Artan became a Fifa referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations. Artan's plight is the latest fiasco to hit the World Cup, with Iran's football federation stating on Tuesday that their allocation of fan tickets for the group stage has been revoked.